Amy Baral's Blog

Endorsements!!!

Amy Baral — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 21:49:44 EST

If you haven't checked out Caroline Kennedy's op-ed in the New York Times, please read it now.

I have often told others how I feel that Barack Obama is a mixture of two of my all-time favorite heros, JFK and Martin Luther King Jr.. It seems like JFK's own daughter feels the same way.
"Sometimes it takes a while to recognize that someone has a special ability to get us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals and imagine that together we can do great things. In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible.

We have that kind of opportunity with Senator Obama. It isn't that the other candidates are not experienced or knowledgeable. But this year, that may not be enough. We need a change in the leadership of this country- just as we did in 1960."

My friends often make fun of me because of my "obsession" with Barack Obama. But really people, this is a man that can change our nation for the better. I strongly believe that he has the ability and the knowhow to fix many of the problems that have plagued our country for decades. Our time for change has come. Let us show the world that America is not a country that can be divided based on race, gender, ethnicity, or political party. Yes, America, we can!

Florida Democratic Primary?!?

Amy Baral — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 16:08:32 EST

From the Obama Campaign: "If the Clinton campaign's southern strategy rests on the outcome in a state where they're the only ones competing, that should give Democrats deep pause."

Love It!

Fact Check Time

Amy Baral — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 02:01:23 EST

If you thought that the Democratic debate on Monday was full of cat-fighting and name calling, you're not alone. But how much truth was in those attacks that the candidates were making against each other? These are the things I wish the average American voter would see on a regular basis.

Being a political science, history, and general politics freak, I spend most of my free time watching the news, reading blogs, listening to news podcasts (CNN Politics Daily is 15 minutes of pure amazing-ness!), and reading articles online. For these reasons, I often feel like I know more than the average voter about the "games" being played in the political arena as politicians try to distort each other's records in order to come off as the better candidate.
Every person whose door I walk up to and who I talk to one the phone is sure at one point or another to ask me a question about the recent "he said she said" on the campaign trail. This is why factcheck needs to come out into the news circuits and out to the average people. It is time for politicians to cut the crap and just say the truth. Oh well, I guess only in a perfect world..., but at least for know we have factcheck, the media, and bloggers to work out all of the inconsistencies and pure lies on the campaign trail.

Media Coverage

Amy Baral — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 02:00:40 EST

In a perfect world, the media would report the full story, unbiased and true on every account.

In a perfect world, the media would focus less on polls and more on what the candidate are actually saying.
In a perfect world, the media would air stories about legislative achievements and the actual policies of all of the candidates.
After phonebanking for hours upon hours in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts, the question that I have gotten most has been about Barack Obama's experience in politics. I always try to answer this question to the best of my abilities using the knowledge that I have learned after working on the campaign, reading up on Barack Obama's life, and reading his books.
However, after receiving this question along with another person questioning why Obama won't just come out and state his policies instead of bickering with Hillary, it occurred to me that the average American voter has not read The Audacity of Hope, has not read through Obama's policies, and does not watch CNN 24/7. The average American voter does not know everything that Obama accomplished both as a state senator for eight years and a national senator for four years.
Here I will do my best to explain the major points in Obama's past legislative achievements that give me a huge clue as to how great and well-minded a president he could be.
1. Obama, as a state senator, worked on extensive campaign finance reforms- something that a freshman state senator never really wants to get his hands dirty in.2. Again as a state senator, Obama passed a bill that made it mandatory to have videotapped interrogation thereby protecting possible criminals from harmful interrogation tactics used by police. Who would ever have the guts to take on the police of a state and gain support of both Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that seemingly falls strongly on the Democratic side and less on the Republican.3. As a Senator for Illinois, Obama worked on a bill that made bundling transparent. Again, I have always been told that legislator do not want to pass reasonable campaign finance reforms at it ends up hurting them in getting reelected or elected to a different office because campaign finance reforms limit the avenues to funnel money into a campaign.
Obama's work on these three issues is on a simple sampling of the major legislation that he was work on. These are usually the points that I explain to the people on the phone who ask me about his experience.
These programs have shown that Obama has an ability that is unique in the politics of our day- he can work with Democrats, Republicans, and Independents to pass meaningful legislation that makes all groups happy and actually accomplishes something.
To me, a great judge of character and experience, is not how much one has accomplished or how long one has been in a particular office, but rather how well one does his or her and how well one works with others.
Obama has shown that he can work with Democrats and Republicans, something that Hillary Clinton and the Republican contenders have yet to show. If only the media would cover this part of Obama's campaign then the American people could realize that Hillary's "experience" means nothing if she is not willing to work with both Democrats and Republicans in a bipartisan manner in order to get things accomplished.

The Democratic Nomination Process Heats Up

Amy Baral — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 01:58:50 EST

Kornblut and Murray do an excellent job in explaining the campaign strategies for Democratic frontrunners Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

I will quickly sum up the article for you along with adding some of my own personal ideas.
First, Clinton...
Hillary, as we have seen, has moved away from South Carolina- leaving Bill and Chelsea there, as she herself heads off to the top February 5th states: California, New Jersey, New York.
Her plan is based on the idea that Barack Obama is going to win South Carolina and she needs to be prepared to gain the major delegates in the Super Tuesday states. This is an idea that Hillary and her strategists will try to deny given any chance by the media.
What must this look like to the people of South Carolina? Well I've talked to enough voters in New Hampshire and Massachusetts to know that voters want to meet the candidates, they want to hear them speak, and they want to attend campaign events in their area. By leaving South Carolina to the care of Bill and Chelsea, to me, Hillary is effectively saying that she does not have the time to waste on voters in a state that she believes is fully going to go into Barack Obama's hands come Saturday. Too bad, maybe she could have actually convinced some people to vote for her between now and then.
Of course the press's spin on this issue has been hilarious- a total villification of this whole entire campaign strategy of leaving South Carolina voters high and dry. This caused Hillary to return to South Carolina for a bit today- just making a little appearance, reminding voters that she still "cares about them". Let's hope that South Carolina voters are smarter than that!
Second, Obama...
Obama's strategy, as it has been from the beginning is to build grassroots support in the February 5th states along with South Carolina. Obama is currently spending all of his time in South Carolina, leaving the 22 February 5th states up to his strong network of campaign staff.
Obama's campaign certainly has the capital to mount a full-fledged attack on the February 5th states after South Carolina's primary on Saturday. I expect to see Obama flying back and forth between all of these states during the next week.
I fully believe that a strong showing in California is exactly what Obama will need in order to secure the nomination. As of right now, according to all of the polls (and we know how polls can be), Hillary has a wide lead in California. However, it is my firm belief that the people in California are some of the most progressive Democrats in the United States. These are the type of people that appeal to Obama's message of change and hope in politics and these are the type of people who will show up to the polls and vote on election day. The Obama campaign needs to make sure that their message reaches these people in order to get the best showing and the most delegates in this state.
That's what it comes down to my friends, delegates. If you had asked me a year ago how I thought the primary process was going to play out, I would have mentioned something that I heard all throughout my government courses- after New Hampshire, Iowa, and South Carolina, our nominee will be all but finalized, with the February 5th states mattering very little in the grand scheme of things. However, this time around, in the extremely close races both on the Democratic and Republican sides, nothing is decided and everything is still up in the air. Delegates are what matter in this primary season, no the big mo created in a 2-3 win in the big 3 primary states. It will all come down to the delegate count- done for the Democrats in a confusing proportional manner (if the whole superdelegate thing was not confusing enough!). The Obama campaign is focusing on winning as many delegates as possible to compete with Hillary's large superdelegate numbers and support in heavy delegate states such as New York and California. Hopefully, this strategy will work in favor of my candidate.
Finally, Edwards...
Oh Edwards. I expect Edwards to gain a strong vote from white voters in South Carolina that can identify with his son of the South attitude. However, after loosing in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada, I do not really see Edwards going anywhere towards gaining the nomination.
I firmly believe that Edwards is only still in the race to not only frustrate Hillary and Obama, but also to use his small but growing delegates as a way to gain a top position in whatever Democratic nominee's campaign, preferably Vice President. Because the battle over the nomination may very well come down to who has the most delegates, Edwards can use his delegates as a bribing chip to gain access to the Vice Presidential ticket. This event would not surprise me if Edwards does somewhat well in South Carolina.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this one plays out!

Experience

Amy Baral — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 14:32:13 EST

Often while talking to my friends- the ones who are actually voting, most of them question me on my strong support of Barack Obama.

"Amy", they say, "How can you support Barack Obama? I mean I know he has good positions and his 'Change We Can Believe In' is great, but I don't think he has enough experience to be President".
Hillary Clinton vs. Barack Obama. The fight is on about what she claims is his lack of experience. Well, if you are still undecided as Super Tuesday approaches, take a look at this Op-Ed from Nicholas Kristof.
Maybe, in this campaign and in future elections, experience is not what the American people should be looking at while deciding who is qualified to be the next President.
But then again, maybe it is, and as Kristof puts it, Dick Cheney should just be our next President...

Live Blogging- The Democratic Debate on MSNBC

Amy Baral — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 23:01:30 EST

Race (Obama, Clinton)- Drop it already, obviously neither the Clinton or Obama camps want to continue this issue, especially after they have declared a "truce".

White Male Issue (directed at Edwards)- Clinton and Obama both said that they did not want to make this primary about race or gender, so why raise this question?
Obama's Remarks in Last Debate (Obama)- Yeah, they sounded bad. Sorry!
Last Debate Ganging Up (Edwards)- "Entrenched monied interests" (Edwards)- your campaign takes money from those people.
Is is just me or is Edwards trying to take all of Obama's talking points- special interests ruling everything, hope, and need for change in Washington
False Hopes (Clinton)- hold on, let me list all the issues first before I respond to the question... blah blah, experience, blah blah 35 years (total BS I hate this argument of her).
Obama and Edwards Prepared (Clinton)- Voters need to decide- no sh*t, Tim why did you ask her this question? what answer were you expecting?
Operating Officer as a Weakness (Obama)- President: "vision for where country needs to go, capacity to bring together best people, spark kind of debate to solve [problems], and being able to inspire and moblize American people... need sound judgement, vision of future, capacity to tap into hopes and dreams of American people"
S&W- Bring people together (Obama-S); messy- needs good people in place to make sure that systems run (Obama-W); 54 years fighting survival, in courts, public life, got what it takes inside (Edwards-S); powerful emotional response to pain around him, can undermine what needs to be done (Edwards-W); passionately committed, instrument for changes- especially for children, create opportunities and make change (Clinton-S); impatient and frustrated, concerned about pushing further and faster [bullshit Hillary] (Clinton W).
Hil's Attack on Barack (Clinton)- Can't always depend on others like Bush did. *Hint- I'm better than Obama, he's like Bush*.
Barack's Response (Obama)- Need to be good manager. Team- get best people and hold them accountable. Bush couldn't listen to other perspectives and bring people together. *Obviously I'm not a stubborn dumb ass like Bush*.
False Info about B.O., How Campaign Combats It (Obama)- set down the truth, can't prevent this, if he is doing his job as a candidate effectively, people will see through the lies on the internet.
------------------- BREAK ----------------------
Citigroup and Soverign Wealth Funds (Clinton)- need more control, transparency / problems to get here- subprime crisis / her plan to combat what's happening.
Kuwait and SWF (Edwards)- agree with Hillary about what to do, problem- core of economy, growth but with wealthiest, worries of middle class.
More (Obama)- U.S. doesn't have an energy policy, failures of Bush administration to reduce dependence on foreign oil- need to work on new sources of fuel to fix balance of payments / Bush administration doesn't believe in oversight, mortgage industry lobbied to prevent- wants to restore accountability and oversight in financial markets.
Middle Class Woes / Bankruptcy Bill (Edwards)- Shouldn't have vote for it *flip flop*, bill not fair- yes it's not fair. Need- universal healthcare, energy transformation, pay day lender laws, increase national min. wage, easier for college
Bankruptcy Bill (Clinton)- never became law, I do regret it. Bankruptcy reform needed. Severance pay for Countrywide CEO- I don't like Hillary, but this comment rings true for me! Race Race Race- "Black and Brown" groups victimized
Bankruptcy Bill (Obama)- opposed them both (like Iraq War resolution), Hil's right- now listen to my bill..., need to rid influence of special interests in D.C., change how politics is done.
Retiree, Safeguards for Reverse of Bush Tax Cuts (Obama)- make tax code fairer.
QUESTION: ARE THERE LIVE MICS HERE? YOU CAN HEAR EVERYTHING!
Foreclosure Rates, Freeze Interest Rates and Long-Term Effects (Clinton)- freeze to stabilize and in line with what the fed is doing, other parts of plan... fund of $30bn to stop foreclosures, employ people in greenpower jobs
Edwards joking with Hillary- hilarious! LOVE HIM!Obama seems really stiff and unemotional now...
Edwards' Question:CFR- Why do they give this money?- *Of course JE brings up this question, he has raised the least out of the three*(Obama)- Don't take $ from lobbyists or PACs, $ recorded from drug or insurance agency, raised more money from small donors, taken away power from lobbyists b/c of bundling law he passed, want public financing of campaigns (co-sponsor of bill in Senate),
Clinton's Question:Ask Obama to join her to convince Bush to change direction and end War in Iraq, she introduced legislation that requires Bush to come to Congress to get anything that he is trying to do with Iraq. Will he co-sponsor her legislation? *Wow a bill co-sponsored by Clinton and Obama would be great and speak wonders for the unity of the Democratic party*(Obama)- Can work on this. Obama's plan of troops out by 2009. First job- Joint Chiefs of Staff need to phase out involvement in Iraq.
Will HRC and JE Join in 2009 Withdrawal of Obama (Clinton and Edwards)- Clinton- yes will work on it , Edwards- most aggressive plan
NH No Pledge? (All)- Obama- not positive, may still have strategic interests, Bush's problem, Clinton- need to protect strategic interests, not only Bush but also Republican candidates, Edwards- dishonest to suggest that won't have troops to protect embassy, difference- all combat troops out in 1st year,
Obama's QuestionWilling to say that may go after in Iraq if form- could be combat aspect, or not- if not there could be problems for US safety?(Edwards)- Will keep troops in Kuwait as safeguard, don't want perception of U.S. presence.Obama clarification: strike force preferable if able to do so.
--------------- BREAK -----------------
Volunteer Army, College ROTC Program, Will Enforce? (Clinton)- Yes, new GI Bill of Rights, work on Senate Armed Services Committee.
Top 10 Have No ROTC Programs (Clinton)- Don't do anything to hurt it.
Same Question (Obama)- Yes, rural communities carrying the load disproportionately, need increase in force structure (army, marines) to cut down on tours of duty, obligation to serve for everyone, National Service program.
Enforce Statue to Cut of Funding (Edwards)- Yes, can't just talk about it- poor veterans, PTSD, physical injuries, families hurting- need comprehensive eval. of health, job training, additional edu., help families, narrow gap, funding.
Obama additional (Obama)- How Bush administration has failed, still paying for Walter Reid bills.
Clinton additional (Clinton)- Need to do everything, traumatic brain industry- pass legislation to work on this problem.
Pledge to Kill Yaka Mtn. (Obama)- Yes, need to secure people of Nevada that they will be safe, need to figure out how to store nuclear waste / (Clinton)- Voted against in 2001, consistently against, attack on Obama and Edwards' positions on this issue / (Obama-rebut.)- IL more nuclear power plants than any other but still opposed / (Edwards)- Opposed, nuclear power- Obama yes to additional plans, Clinton- agnostic, Edwards- against building more nuclear power plants / (Clinton)- Did vote for Yaka twice, since that time = now opposed.
Voted for Energy Bill- Big Winner- Nuclear Power (Obama)- Voted for because largest investment in clean energy that we have ever seen, need to decrease dependence on foreign oil, nuclear- need to figure out way to have safe, cost-efficient, can store effectively, if we can, we need to produce it, create menu of energy options, cap and trade system.
Same ? (Clinton)- Cheney and lobbyist bill, tilted towards special interests, need to break lock of special interests (*like Obama's plan*) , energy fund needs to be created, take away subsidies, 2005 Energy Bill was step backwards for clean energy- I agree- bad move Obama- I expect this issue to come up again...
Against Nuclear Power (Edwards)- nuclear power not answer, beyond wind and solar, need to increase investment, agree with HRC and BO- important to break grip of gas and oil- but HRC has raised more money from those people than any other candidate, need cap on carbon emissions, 80% by 2050, below cap make people pay, investment of those payments, goes beyond- moratorium on coal-fired power plants.
Rebut. (Clinton)- Energy plan not on nuclear power, no coal-powered unless most modern, clean tech., massive effort, America we can make this change (*Obama line*).
Rebut. (Obama)- Need to talk about reducing consumption of energy- ordinary citizens can make a change.
Problem with English as Official Language (Edwards)- Need immigration reform, need path to citizenship for illegal immigrants- earn citizenship, requirements to earn citizenship- if illegal: need payment of fine, learn English, need to help with that process.
Clinton Pollster: Hispanic Voters Don't Support Black Candidates (Clinton)- No, bring people together (*Race thing again, anti-Obama HRC campaign comment, Obama issue of bringing people together*).
History of Division (Obama)- "No, not in IL, they voted for me", Latino voters know commitment to them = gravitate towards them, immigration- with Ted Kennedy and John McCain to have comprehensive plan, leadership he's shown, advocate even if politically tough.
100 Black Men of America- High Drop Out of Black Males (Obama)- Similar to Latinos, start school behind- early childhood edu., NCLB fixing, reward teachers. Have good answers, but no sense of urgency in White House. Need to have parents take their job seriously- especially African-American fathers.
Follow-Up (Clinton)- Commend Barack, has to start in family, 35 years shit again, commend 100 Black Men b/c worked with them to create Eagle School, involvement in community.
Follow-Up (Edwards)- Universal Pre-K, huge dropout rate- need to create 2nd chance schools.
Gun Deaths, Leading Cause of Death for Young Black Men, Illegal Guns (Clinton)- Against illegal guns- cause of death and injury. Political realist (*take that Obama*), don't want Fed. preempting cities. Need good national registry that is timely, crackdown on illegal gun dealers, enforce laws on books, reinstate assault weapons bans. Work together (*another Obama key*).
Licensing and Registering Guns and Gunowners (Obama)- Common sense enforcement, trace guns back to illegal gun dealers, lawful gun ownership vs. illegal- make sure 2nd Amendment is respected but cracking down on abuses.
Licensing and Registering (Edwards)- Against, need to protect 2nd Amendment rights, need assault weapons ban, need President that understands lawful gun use.
-------------- BREAK --------------
Fear Card- AlQaida Will Watch Our Elections, Hiring President to Be There When Chips Are Down (Clinton)- Fact- face dangerous adversary, next president needs to be prepared, enemy will take advantage of us, homeland security- duty of president to protect and defend, voters need to make that decision, I am prepared to do this.
National Security, Won't Use 9/11 as a Hook (Obama)- Dominated by politics of fear since 9/11, understandable, Clinton uses spector of terrorist attack of new PM shows use of fear of terrorism- mistake, don't want to perpetuate fear, honest and straightforward with American people about stopping terrorism.
Terrorist Won't Test Obama More Than Clinton Right? *Yes, this is what she was trying to get across* (Clinton)- Fact about PM, matters who's president b/c have constant need for preparedness.
Foreign Policy, Called Musharraf (Edwards)- Called Pakistani ambassador, wanted to say to him: have to continue on democratization, must allow int'l investigators, open and fair elections need to take place.
Decision to Run is Most Important, When Did You Decide (All)(Clinton)- New Years, needs to be done, solutions business (*Obama cue*), thanks to all.(Edwards)- December, cause of our lives- middle class and having everyone to have the chances he has had, personal campaign.(Obama)- December, can family survive campaign? something to provide the country, do more effectively- bring country together, speak honestly with people, bring Americans into process of change.
Obama got the last word and ended on a high note. As for who won- let's let those wonderful pundit predict- or at least someone with more campaign experience than myself.

Jesus Camp on the National Stage

Amy Baral — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 21:38:05 EST

Mike Huckabee- We need to amend the constitution to bring it in line with God.

Holy Crap. If Huckabee gets the Republican nomination and then gets elected, not only will the Republican party become the party of the Christian Right thereby faulting it out of winning any Presidential election ever again and dying out like other major parties- the Whigs and the Federalists, but I am going directly into politics - screw law school, screw finishing college - send me to D.C. to fight against "bringing our constitution in line with God".
This is AMERICA MR. HUCKABEE! AMERICA! I don't know what you or Mike Huckabee believes America means, but aside from other aspects of what I believe America is, America to me is a place where everyone is accepted and given equal opportunity to succeed regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or religious belief.
By amending the constitution to make it in line with God, Huckabee is effectively saying that America is a nation based on the evangelical Christian faith instead of oh, that little part of the Constitution declaring freedom of religion. Damn that constitution, I guess Huckabee will just have to change the 1st Amendment.

It's Time for My Comment...

Amy Baral — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 21:37:25 EST

Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and the Big Elephant in the Room. Not, that's not any of the Republicans. RACE.

People it is 2008, decades after the Civil Rights Era featuring my personal hero the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. Yet, in a Presidential nomination race that is groundbreaking- a woman, an African-America, an Hispanic (well, up until last week), new voters, students actually voting, and a possible realignment- race is the issue that is dominating.
I will not go into grand detail about comments made by the Clinton campaign, but let me just say that Clinton's statement that MLK would have been nothing with out LBJ was totally uncalled for and without a historical basis to back it up.
That being said, the recent discussions that this race issue has caused brings me to one main point. In politics, especially in a primary season like this one that is so incredibly close, every move is calculated and every word is tested. What a candidate says and does needs to be analyzed from the point of view where the analyzer realizes that everything in politics is calculated. Hillary Clinton's campaign made racially charged comments that were meant to be racially charged. Think about it people.
It is nice that these two candidates have declared a truce, so Tim and Brian, stop bringing it up in the debate right now. Move onto issues that really matter, rather than he said - she said.

Giuliani's Campaign in the Tubes

Amy Baral — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 23:34:48 EST

The AP is reporting that Rudy Giuliani's campaign has asked staffers to go without pay in order to focus financial resources on Florida.

No pay? For staffers of a Republican?
People, political winds are changing. First of all, the Republicans are no longer on top in the fundraising game of politics. The Democratic nominees have trumped the Republicans over and over on this front in the 2008 Race.
Next, no pay because finances need to go to Florida?
That's a sign that Rudy is not doing as well as people may have expected a year before. 6th in Iowa and 4th in New Hampshire. The Republican race is tight, but not with Rudy in the mix. Expect a showdown between McCain and Rudy in New York, but that'll be about it for Guiliani and his campaign.
Sorry Rudy, I guess your non-Republican-esque social values just did not cut it for 2008.

"What Makes Obama Run?"

Amy Baral — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:37:36 EST

The following post is based on an article written by Hank De Zutter which can be found at: http://www.chicagoreader.com/obama/951208/.

Back in December 1995, when Barack Obama made an attempt at political office- running for the Illinois State Senate, this article was published.

What Zutter writes about Obama is interesting. The article shows the true Obama- one who truly believes in the people in which he is trying to mobilize. The recent figures from Iowa and New Hampshire have shown that Barack Obama's true calling into organizing people has come full circle. More people have voted in these two recent elections than ever before. Iowa saw the number of caucus goers almost double and New Hampshire followed suit.
As you have seen before with me, I believe that Barack Obama is the best candidate in both the Democratic and Republican fields to be the next leader of our country. Zutter sums up my feelings towards Barack Obama clearly:
What makes Obama different from other progressive politicians is that he doesn't just want to create and support progressive programs; he wants to mobilize the people to create their own. He wants to stand politics on its head, empowering citizens by bringing together the churches and businesses and banks, scornful grandmothers and angry young. Mostly he's running to fill a political and moral vacuum.

Vote for Barack Obama in the upcoming Democratic primaries!

Super Tuesday

Amy Baral — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:36:02 EST

Courtesy of Chris Bowers: Breaking Down Super Tuesday State By State:

Clinton gains Connecticut by virtue of being a favorite in New York.She is favored by Massachusetts residents in the polls.
Come on guys, let's all vote for Obama on Super Tuesday.
If you are not registered to vote, go to rockthevote.com or head to your Town Hall. For Massachusetts residents, you have until January 16th and for Connecticut residents you have until January 31st. Also, if you are registered as an independent, change your party to Democrat in order to vote in each of these two states CLOSED PRIMARIES. If you are registered and need an absentee ballot, head to your Town Hall and fill out the form. If they do not have the ballots (CT ballots get sent out on January 15th), have them sent to you at school.
Make sure you remind your friends to get registered to vote and get absentee ballots to vote at school. Also, spread the word to your friends, family, and neighbors that Barack Obama is the right Democratic candidate to vote for in the primaries.
Finally, PLEASE remember to vote for Barack Obama in the Democratic Primary on Super Tuesday, February 5th. Let's show the pundits that they wrong again- Barack Obama can carry Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Thank You!

My Upcoming Political Future

Amy Baral — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:52:00 EST

Internship done and I am starved for more political action.

I have signed up to phone bank for the Obama campaign for the rest of the election. 3 hours a week is not too bad as compared with the 18+ hour days we were putting in in New Hampshire.
Next, BU for Barack. We need to grow the movement and sell more t-shirts. We are doing visibility at Marsh the week before Super Tuesday. Finally, we need to work on a GOTV strategy to make sure that all of the kids that we registered to vote in Massachusetts from BU vote on Super Tuesday.
Because I will be back at school, my campaign activities will be contained towards Massachusetts. So I foresee working strongly with Boston for Barack Obama and the new Barack Obama office in town to gain local support.
Before February 5th (most likely as soon as I get back to BU and find my ballot in my mailbox), I will be voting absentee in the Connecticut Democratic primary for Barack Obama.
Spring break. If things go according to plan (and we will know for sure after February 5th), I will be out and about on the campaign trail again- wherever they need me.
Summer. As said before, if things go according to plan, I will hopefully be interning (or maybe just full-time volunteering) for the campaign. From lessons learned in New Hampshire, I know that I will need a car, a GPS, and a new camera for things to go extremely well.
We'll see what happens in the weeks to come and expect periodic updates.

What Barack Obama Means to Me

Amy Baral — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:51:16 EST

If you have never seen Barack Obama speak in person, please find and event and see him right away. His message and his delivery will blow you away.

To me, Barack Obama means change. His ideas about how to change Washington and the process of partisan politics that our country has begun to tire of are utopian sounding- similar to my own. Barack Obama = dramatic change. If you have any doubt about this, just look at Iowa and New Hampshire- more young people voting, more people voting in general, and Barack Obama pulling from Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. This is amazing, just what the United States needs right now.
If Barack Obama becomes President, one can expect intense changes to occur within the American political system. To me, Barack Obama is the candidate who has the best ability to make these changes. His work in the United States Senate and in the Illinois Senate have proven that he can work together with Republicans on issue. This will help end the years of partisan politics that we have become used to. This, I believe, is the only way that we can get major legislation passed on issues such as the War on Terror, Iraq, healthcare, Social Security, immigration, and the environment. Also, Barack Obama is the only Democratic candidate who stands a chance of winning against a Republican in the national election. Hillary is too divisive to gain votes from swing voters and Republicans. Edwards is too far behind in the polls. Barack Obama is a joiner who can join Democrats, along with Republicans and Independents to vote for him- as seen in Iowa.
Go Barack! Keep it coming. "Yes We Can"!

The Primaries Continue... What Barack Obama Needs To Do

Amy Baral — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:50:44 EST

Courtesy of Marc Ambinder:

Here is the Obama campaign's first take on its next moves:
1.) Fight fight fight. Aggressively contrast Obama with Clinton; make the contrasts sharper; throw elbows where needed.
2.) Adopt an underdog's crouch; run the campaign as if it's a life or death struggle between the forces of good and evil.
3.) Try to force voters to see the Obama campaign as a movement that is threatened by the establishment, much like the civil rights movement was threatened by the establishment.
4.) Use Obama's force of personality.
5.) Try to urge black voters in South Carolina not to let Clinton and Washington take "this moment" away from you.
6.) Figure out what the heck happened to their field program; why they lost women.
7.) Allow Clinton to have her victory for a day, and then re-engage.
Obama has the message, power, and force to show the country that he is ready to lead as the Democratic nominee. He needs to pull through in order to do so. This setback in New Hampshire, not so much by the polls, but rather how the Clinton campaign is going to spin her success and "comeback" will hurt Obama. He needs to react strong and quick. Obama needs to be "Fired Up!" and "Ready to Go" show the American people that the best choice for a strong Democrat who can fix the country and win in November is himself and they need to turn out and vote for him, no matter what the polls are saying.

Problems with News Reports Now

Amy Baral — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:49:48 EST

After the New Hampshire primary, all of the major new organizations were reporting how the polls and pundits were wrong- Clinton won, not Obama.

As morning rolled around, the major new organizations were now describing Clinton was the comeback kid- down 10% in most polls and comes back to win New Hampshire by 3%.
Calling Clinton a comeback kid is a great way for Hillary's campaign to gain the momentum that she had lost after Iowa.
However, no matter how much the Clinton campaign is going to portray New Hampshire as such a comback and no matter how many times news analysts will declare that New Hampshire was the biggest upset in United States political history, both of these statements are simply not true.
Polls taken before the Iowa caucus in New Hampshire showed Clinton with a lead of 39% over Barack Obama. Of course Obama carried momentum over to New Hampshire after his victory in Iowa- boosting the polls in his favor. But really now, a comeback for Clinton- she won at 39%- the same number that she had been polling right before Iowa. Over the course of less than a week, Clinton was on top, then below Obama, and then truly on top. That my friends in not a comeback at all. Maybe if this shift had occurred over a month or so, then we could be talking about a comeback.
Sadly, the Clinton campaign will and is portraying her victory as a comeback- something that will help her gain votes and support throughout the primaries through Super Tuesday. Barack Obama's campaign needs to find the best way to spin this situation to gain support. His speech on Tuesday certainly showed that he is on that track- "Yes We Can" fight up against the establishment (hint, that's Hillary and the Republicans) and "Yes We Can" change Washington and take it back from the hands of the special interests. Basically, we are behind and we need your help America to come out on top.
It is also important to note that not counting Superdelegates- Obama is leading Clinton by 1 regular delegate as both he and she got the same number of normal delegates in New Hampshire because of how close the polls were.

My Predictions for the GOP Nomination

Amy Baral — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:48:58 EST

Don't quote me on any of this material- I'm an extremely strong Democrat and therefore I try to just know the basics of the GOP Nomination.

Iowa- Overwhelmingly Huckabee because of strong evangelical vote that identified with his role as a evangelical preacher.
New Hampshire- McCain, a New Hampshire favorite and a favorite among Independents that lean Republican.
Michigan- My guess, if McCain keeps momentum, he should win. McCain is a crowd, or rather GOP favorite, true to the basics of the GOP. However, Romney is a chosen son of Michigan- born and raised there; his father was governor. Finally, Huckabee could gain support from the blue collar workers, especially with his new ad in which he calls himself the person who understands the workers, not one that lays them off.
Nevada- McCain. McCain's huge support in Arizona will flow into Nevada.
South Carolina- My early guess, Huckabee because of the Bible Belt. However, if McCain does well in Nevada and Michigan, Huckabee might fall behind in the polls in S.C.
Florida- Rudy's home base right now, however if he does not do better in the next few primaries, he could lose Florida and therefore effectively drop off the radar for the GOP Nomination.
To me, it's all between Romney, Huckabee, and McCain now. In the end, I bet the GOP Nomination will go to McCain. Now that would be a comeback!

Bill Richardson

Amy Baral — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:48:11 EST

One thing I noticed during my endless canvasses and phone calls in the Nashua area over the past week- people love Bill Richardson. Yet, he still finished 4th in New Hampshire, like he did in Iowa.

Bill Richardson has the most experience out of all of the Democratic contenders- Sec. of Energy, role as negotiator, Ambassador to the UN, Congressman, and Governor. In a Democratic race where people like Clinton have been saying that experience is necessary, Bill Richardson should be the one to win, right?
Well after two 4th place finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire, the Richardson iswithdrawing from the race.
Now the question is, where will Richardson's supporters go? Obama or Clinton? Of course, my hope is that they will support Obama- a candidate for change, similar to the positions that Richardson was beginning to lean towards. Maybe, when Richardson formally announces his withdrawal, he will tell is supporters to go towards a certain candidate- we'll see tomorrow.
Thank you Bill Richardson for running. It is just too bad that the American people never quite saw how qualified you were as a candidate. I believe that you would make an amazing Sec. of State in the next Democratic administration

I'm Back!

Amy Baral — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:47:27 EST

The New Hampshire Primaries are over and your fellow Obama for America Intern is back at home and back on the blog.

Overall, working with Obama for America in Nashua was truly one of the best experiences of my life. I will keep all of the memories and friends that I have made this past week with me for the rest of my life
Thank you to everyone who made this trip amazing.
Working with the campaign confirmed two things to me:1.) I am obsessed with politics, especially American politics and need to do this for the rest of my life, no matter what.2.) Our country needs Barack Obama- we need a change, NOW!
More to come on my feelings about the results, problems with what the pundits are saying now, my predictions for the GOP, primary season rolls on, what Obama needs to do now, my future with the 2008 Democratic Nomination, and my faith in Barack Obama. Stay tuned!

SCHIP

Amy Baral — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 17:12:48 EST

SCHIP- State Children's Health Insurance Program

Passed, finally, by President Bush who vetoed it twice already.

Take a look at this video for Jon Stewart's take on the first veto of the SCHIP bill.

This new version of the SCHIP bill only supports those already under the current program- children who's families' wealth doesn't qualify them for Medicaid but doesn't allow them enough money to pay for private insurance. The bill extend the financial support of the program through 2009.

Originally, the Democrats had tried to pass the SCHIP bill with a new program that would allow for additional children to be placed into the program- an $35 billion dollar increase in the program financed by an increase in the tobacco tax. These changes in the SCHIP program are what Bush originally vetoed.

The version that Bush has now passed- in keeping with the status quo - has been hailed by Bush administration as a way to provide healthcare for children while not progressing the country into a move towards socialized healthcare.

However, the Democrats, and I myself, have a different take on Bush's recent signing. By passing a bill that stays with the status quo, and effectively saying that putting more children under a program that would be financed through an increase in the tobacco tax is a move towards socialized healthcare, which is unacceptable, should significantly hurt the Republicans in the polls- should this news story gain the reporting that it deserves. I've said this many times, but I'll say it again: how can a "family values" Republican president justify not extending a children's healthcare program because it would lead America towards socialized healthcare. You are increasing the tobacco tax for heaven's sake, to pay for healthcare for children who cannot afford it. Children! I don't know what Bush is thinking, but to me, providing children with the ability to be healthy is a necessary thing in the advanced society that we are living in today. It seems unfair that these children should not be able to get the type of medical care that they need simply because doing so would possibly put America on the path towards socialized medicine (ha, probably not).

The extent to which Bush's lack of extension will hurt the Republicans in the 2008 Election will only be seen by how the media decides to cover this bill. Also, the fact that many Republicans in Congress actually supported expanded the SCHIP program and voted for the expansions that were vetoed by President Bush, does not really help support any claims that Bush's lack of expansion will heavily influence the election. I think that the most that Bush's signature on this bill could do in the way of harm would only be to hurt Bush's sagging approval rating. But still, because of all of the hype surrounding the upcoming Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, this bill is not going to get the type of coverage by the media that it needs in order to have a strong influence against the Republicans and the Bush administration.

Time's Person of the Year

Amy Baral — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 18:41:45 EST

Time's Person of the Year: Vladimir Putin

My choice for Person of the Year, well there would be many. Al Gore and the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change would top the list. They won a Nobel Peace Prize working on a major issue that will affect the world for the rest of time, does that not scream Person of the Year? Maybe the monks in Burma. Standing up for democracy in a military dictatorship when no one else in the world will help, does that not qualify for Person of the Year? Maybe we should stick to the United States. Nancy Pelosi, first female Speaker of the House? Well then again, maybe not as she and her Democratic partners did not do as much they had originally planned- that could have been because they lacked a significant majority in the House and Senate to override a Bush veto and they did not have enough seats in the Senate to end a Senate filibuster- but that is story for another blog.
As we have seen, Time's choices for Person of the Year have gone down hill recently. Think 2006- "You". Hmm, yes, You are the Person of the Year. That is the best way to say that we have no freaking idea and are completely indecisive about who should be named Person of the Year.
And now, 2007's Putin. Of course, let's name Russia's new dictator Person of the Year, why didn't I think of that first? Maybe because to me, Person of the Year is a distinction, or at least it has become one, that shows that a person has affected the world in a positive way. Well, Time sees things differently, "Time's Person of the Year is not and never has been an honor. It is not an endorsement. It is not a popularity contest. At its best, it is a clear-eyed recognition of the world as it is and of the most powerful individuals and forces shaping the world- for better of for worse". This is the inherent problem with Time's recognition of Putin as Person of the Year. How can a magazine as upstanding as Time have the guts to declare that Putin, who is hugely becoming a dictator in his own country, can be considered a Person of the Year. Putin is a dictator, no ifs ands or buts about that. But I guess, because the Person of the Year does not need to be good, as long as he or she is shaping the world for better or worse, it's ok.
I guess what only disappoints me further than this is, why if under these circumstances, Osama bin Laden was not declared Person of the Year in 2001? Now that is a question that the Time editors may have a hard question answering. But then again, I guess Rudy Giuliani was a good pick for 2001. Or maybe Time should have picked President Bush, the people of New York City, or better yet the People of the United States. Come onTime, Putin is a very influential man, but seriously, find some better People of the Year. Work less at getting your own name in the news with a controversial pick, and work towards picking people how have had an amazing positive influence on the world and who can be good role models for all generations.

Benazir Bhutto's Assassination

Amy Baral — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 18:09:08 EST

If you have been living under a rock, or maybe haven't had a chance to watch the nightly news yet, you probably have yet to hear that Benazir Bhutto, the leaders of the Pakistani People's Party (PPP) was assassinated earlier today.

Why is this important?
Well first of all, in my own personal life this event hold a high significance. This past fall, as I entered into my first political science class- Introduction to Comparative Politics with Sophia Perez- I learned that I had to read London's Financial Times newspaper. Upon opening up the first newspaper, I began on a journey that involved exploring the up and coming problems and concerns in Pakistani politics. After reading the newspaper throughout all of the fall semester, I began to become surprisingly attached to what was going on in Pakistan. One can be sure, the events in Pakistan over the past couple of months- Bhutto's return, Musharraf's election, Sharif's return, problems over Sharif participating in the upcoming elections, upcoming Parliamentary elections, the State of Emergency, Musharraf stepping down as Chief of the Army, etc- have been heavily covered in newspapers throughout the world. Pakistan became my little baby. My developing democratic country to study and learn from. Bhutto's death affected me like a little girl watching her baby fish die in her growing aquarium. It will be interesting to see how Bhutto's assassination will affect, and it will majorly affect, Pakistani parliamentary elections and Pakistani politics in general.
Second, Bhutto's assassination will have a major influence on Pakistani politics. Parliamentary elections in Pakistan are to be held on January 8th, 2008. The major players in this election were to be Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. This election was supposed to determine whether or not Pakistan was truly on the path to democracy. Now, one of the major players is dead- not just died out of the blue, but assassinated. Assassination- the action that has a major effect on how well democracy will work. Assassination does not bode well for a developing democracy, especially where the person assassinated was supposed to help in a power sharing agreement with Musharraf, who was slowly loosing support with the Pakistani people. What happens next? Only the January 8th elections will tell...
Finally, Bhutto's death influences how the United States will continue to deal with her Pakistani ally. For CNN's view on this issue, check out this link. The United States supports Pakistan as Pakistan support the United States in the War on Terror. This relationship has had some rocky points. Most notably- the relationship is strained because Pakistan is a developing democracy, not a true democracy (i.e. United States / Britain style). Musharraf's personal election was a sign that the country was heading towards a more acceptable style of democracy, instead of rule by a military dictator. When Musharraf declared a State of Emergency, arrested dissidents, and threw out the Supreme Court, Pakistan's relationship to the United States was tested. How can the United States support a country that cares little about democracy? Why? Because Pakistan is an ally with the War on Terror. Therefore, this relationship is way more important to war-hungry Bush than a developing democratic country. And the Bush administration's latest response to Benazir Bhutto's death... "This latest tragedy is likely to reinforce beliefs that Pakistan is a dangerous, messy place and potentially very unstable and fragile and that they need to cline to Musharraf even more than they did in the past.... The weight of the administration is still convinced that Musharraf is a helpful rather than a harmful figure" (Daniel Markey). Pakistan is still dangerous and unstable, without a doubt, and maybe Musharraf is a helpful figure for the United States. Maybe he is helping Pakistan transition into democracy. However, how can the Bush administration be sure that being an ally with Musharraf and Pakistan is the right idea? Pakistan is still developing. It's not fully there and it still has the possibility of reversing it's pathway to democracy. Everything can change in an instant. Does the United States want to be known for supporting anti-democratic countries that a just allied with the US's beliefs? Well, obviously the United States does not care that much. For the Bush administration, in the War on Terror, all that matters is that we have allies, no matter if they are democratic themselves or not. And remember, we've done that in the past, supporting the Shah of Iran.
Benazir Bhutto's death has major ramifications personally, within Pakistani politics, and with United States relations. It will be interesting to see where this assassination will take us...

Christmas and Campaigning

Amy Baral — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 21:31:52 EST

I hope that everyone has had an amazing Christmas like I did. For those out in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, yesterday was a day without the endless phone calls from campaigns, door knocks from canvassers, and mail from candidates. For the 2008 Presidential Candidates, yesterday was a day that they had the chance, the ability, and the time to spend relaxing with their families.

Well everyone, Christmas is officially over. Gone are the Twelve Days of Christmas, welcome is the one day Christmas Day event. Our Christmas tree is down. Yes, I saw it fully decorated for about a week! In Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, the campaigners are back phone-banking, the canvassers are out knocking on doors, the mail is overflowing with campaign literature, and the candidates are back on the campaign trail.
The Iowa caucus is just over a week away. The candidates are preparing for the final stretch before the big three (Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina). That means all the stops are pulled out. This people is campaigning at it's peak. From now through the end of the major primaries (at least through Super Tuesday, depending on how much variance there is between the major three), every move will be calculated, every word will be tested and recorded, all eyes will be on the candidates.
We're gearing up for one of the most exciting races ever seen. The field is wide open. There can be no frontrunners (as we have seen with Dean in 2004) and it will be interesting to see what happens next. So fasten your seat belts and get ready to go!

New Changes in for the Candidates

Amy Baral — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 21:30:58 EST

We are right on the heals of the Iowa caucus. For weeks, the polls have shown that John McCain has been basically going no where. However, McCain has just kick-started his new three-day campaign push. My bet, this final big push by McCain, in a field where all of the major Republican candidates have been fighting (think Romney dropping in New Hampshire, Giuliani stalling, and Huckabee's rise), will indefinitely help the faultering McCain camapign. I cannot wait to see how McCain will do in Iowa. His position in the Iraq war is polarizing and his age is also a key issue that has not fully been discussed. If McCain pulls through to at least place well in Iowa, as it seems very unlikely that he will take first- that's Huckabee's place, McCain seems poised to do well in New Hampshire. A McCain success this late in the the primary season could seriously shake up the Republican nomination. It will be interesting to see how McCain's three-day intense campaign in Iowa will affect the 2008 Presidential Nomination campaign

"The Closing of the American Mind" by: Evan Thomas

Amy Baral — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 21:30:11 EST

Evan Thomas recently published an article in Newsweek entitled "The Closing of the American Mind".

According to Thomas, the partisanship found throughout American politics is based not on Republican vs. Democrat spectrums, but rather on the differences between political junkies and everyone else.
As a self-proclaimed political junkie, I agree. There is a problem in the American system- people care more about sports, video games, and plain TV shows than about politics. People do not pay full attention to politics. This apathy comes from many sources: a lack of time, a lack of information, a negative view of politics, an idea that political life does not affect one personally, other things to do, or a view that one is satisfied with the status quo (highly unlikely now).
Our political system is now being run by those who give a damn about politics. Following the Iron Law of Oligarchy, our federal government is now being controlled willingly by elites- those who gained the votes of their fellow elites, the only people truly caring enough to vote in elections.
This election has been a call for change in America. Not only for change in the Iraq War, American foreign affairs, healthcare, Social Security, immigration, etc., etc, but also for change in the partisanship that is plaguing American politics. However, as Thomas notes, the only way for this to be possible, is for more people to get involved in the political process. We need this partisanship between the political junkies and everyone else to end and for everyone to become involved and knowledgeable about politics. So America, get up, stop playing XBox 360 and register to vote!