Michael Blackburn's Blog

Where's that guy?

Michael Blackburn — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:40:45 EDT

Just got an ask letter from Barack Obama today, with a glossy insert of some of his "greatest hits." Iowa in November 2007, the New Hampshire speech that inspired "Yes We Can," the Super Tuesday speech. The most recent was the Race speech from Philadephia in March, just before spring arrived (at least nominally, it doesn't show up until May in Chicago).

I happened to be home that morning waiting for the cable installer, and he got us back up just before that speech came on. I stayed home instead of rushing back to work, and I'm glad I did.

Where's the guy in the letter? Where's the Barack Obama we fought so hard to get here?

Stopping my recurring donation in protest of FISA vote

Michael Blackburn — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:07:35 EDT

Subject says it all. I've contributed $834 or so dollars so far this campain, largely on the back of that preset contribution. Of course, I was contributing to the guy who taught the Constitution and would protect the Constitution and the rule of law. Someone let me know if that guy ever shows back up.

Good luck making $50 mil in july.

Use Jujitsu against the right-wing smear emails

Michael Blackburn — Tue, 20 May 2008 16:31:40 EDT

Interesting article on the Nation about the source and tenacity of right-wing smear emails: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20071112/hayes/single

The incredible thing is that they do not die. These things get forwarded and forwarded around, even though both the sender and recipient have probably heard on the TeeVee that they are provably untrue.

Bush benefitted greatly from these in 2000 and 2004, of course. We all saw the lies about Kerry, and you may have noticed that some of them were recycled from the 2000 campaign against Gore with the names change to defile the innocent. But did you ever get the positive ones? I got a couple. Apparently he healed a serviceman in Walter Reed with his salute, and got off his campaign bus to fix a young mother's flat tire out in Texas.

SO. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to make up stories about how Barack Obama has touched your life, or better yet, the life of an imaginary someone in your town. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Helps little old ladies across the street (he gave you this one in the Debates, fer crissake)
Buys ice cream for little girls with money from recycling aluminum
Has saved 53 lives through volunteering on a suicide-prevention hotline, including that of your current pastor.
Has a 8-1 assist to turnover ratio
Drives a hybrid campaign bus he converted by himself
Made his own flag pin out of his mother's tears (what he meant by "that" pin)
Set a single-parent veteran on the path to Jesus.
Negotiated a bank standoff in Farsi

Thoughts?

Blinded by Color

Michael Blackburn — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:05:34 EDT

This is a comment that I've been posting on the occasional right-wing blog when someone bloviates and nitpicks Sen. Obama's magnificent speech yesterday.
----------------------------------------
It seems to me that your quibbling and nitpicking at Sen. Obama's address is motivated by his color; not black or white, but blue, instead of red. Some Republican partisans can't bring themselves to admit that the best candidate to be our next president could be riding a donkey.

You are in a dwindling minority, friends. There are thousands of us now that are sick of the Republican Party's corruption and philosphical backsliding (hello trillion-dollar deficits, endemic corruption and the largest new entitlement since Medicare -- under a Republican watch?!?). We're backing Sen. Obama's campaign now, because he's a leader that we might not always agree with, but we trust he'll hear our side in good faith.

This is a man with two children, who flies back and forth from Washington to Chicago every week; who didn't uproot his young family to Washington. Yet he has never missed a dance recital or PTA meeting. Now you say he is supposed to take a meeting with his pastor every time he disagrees with the sermon? Please. Sen. Obama's political priorities might not match mine, but his personal ones are the same, and I applaud that. His time in Chicago is precious, and his family deserves all of it.

Sen. Obama didn't say that his grandmother and his pastor are equivalent. He pointed out that all of us at sometime have reacted to or even participated in the poisonous racial undercurrent in our society. To disown Rev. Wright would be falling back on the safe, gutless politics of the last generation. I applaud the fact that Sen. Obama didn't throw his pastor under the bus. It shows loyalty to and respect for the man who brought him to salvation in Jesus Christ. He owes the man his everlasting soul; unless your Christianity is just a posture, you must respect that. It is further proof that he's doing things differently; even under extreme duress, he's not just another politician.

But all is not lost. When you're tired of your partisan tantrums, you're welcome to join us at the table. We're going to be talking about how to control the cost of healthcare. As any entrepeneur can tell you, it's crushing the American economy. If you can refrain from the name-calling, you'll have a place. Otherwise, you're just relegating yourself to the childrens' table, where you can play with your red and blue fingerpaints. When it comes to picking leaders, some of us are colorblind.

Sincerely,
Michael Blackburn

Hillary Clinton's '3am' ad BOMBS with undecideds (and Obama supporters)

Michael Blackburn — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:48:48 EST

http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/03/focus_group_clintons_3_am_ad_d.html

Watch all the way to the end (I know, it's hard) and watch the opinions fall off a cliff when Hillary comes onscreen!

Political malpractice indeed.

The "Empty Suit" line is just fine with me

Michael Blackburn — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:20:06 EST

I read this on anothoer blog and it makes sense. The "Empty suit" argument was used against Dubya in the primaries in 2000. When it came to the general election, Dubya "won" debates because he often spoke in complete sentences.

If they want to set Obama up as "fluffy," the people tuning in for the general election will be blown away. He is able to "drill down" at ten times the power of McCain. It's all about expectations, and having opponents set them low is fine with me. It makes THEM look bad when he not only clears the bar but does a backflip over it while making an omlet and reciting all 50 state capitals.

"Most Liberal Senator" EXPOSED

Michael Blackburn — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:06:45 EST

I love how when John Kerry was the nominee, HE was the "most liberal" senator. And wasn't Al Gore the "most liberal" when he was running? Now that Barack Obama is the threat, suddenly HE's the "Most liberal senator." Anyone ELSE see a pattern here? Are we really supposed to believe that Obama was more liberal than Russ Feingold? How about Bernie Sanders, socialist from Vermont?

The Republicans try the EXACT same okey-doke every year, and I think the American public is smart enough to take a reasoned look at this. Check out mostliberalsenator.blogspot.com:
http://mostliberalsenator.blogspot.com/

They have an analysis of the John Kerry attack from four years ago I'll summarize over the break. Let's just say John & John went to number one faster than a boy band in the 90's.

Houston volunteer office inadvertantly insults Cubans

Michael Blackburn — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 10:42:53 EST

I've reposted below the reply I wrote to Millie from Florida, who was upset about the image from a Houston Fox station of Che Guevera in a volunteer office. She is very clear in describing why this is a problem, making me aware of the insensitivity of honoring that man. Here's the original post:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/millie/C4fY

Here's my reply:

You're absolutely right. To be honest, I was ignorant of this aspect of Cuban history and culture. That ignorance is widespread in America due to the embargo; it's gone on longer than many of us have been alive. It's certainly not taught in public school US History. Without free movement to Cuba, there is no way many American youth could have known this.

Here's the hope: as English-only white male, I do not associate with many Spanish-speaking people, much less Cubans. But Barack's message is one of Unity, and it's brought the two of us together. By following his example of listening, I understand now why this image is so powerful. There's no way I could have known that without you.

Please, accept my apologies on behalf of every WASP kid who's been denied an opportunity to learn about the proud and beautiful Cuban culture and history. I know it's hurt your work for this campaign, but I believe it is not fatally wounded.

I understand your anger. But I have to call you to be responsible as well. I reject your argument that it is the volunteer's responsibility to "educate herself" about the issues of Cuban Americans before opening an office. How could she ever learn everything there is to know about every cultural subsegment of American society? How many Cubans has she had meaningful interactions with in her life?

This the core of the argument for unity, including a shared language and cultural integration into the US, a topic many immigrants resist. It's ultimately unfair to maintain a separate society, enforced with language, and yet be insulted when someone outside your culture makes a stupid mistake.

I can't speak for your family, but I know that every person can ultimately only control their own behavior. Your choice now is to retreat, insulted, away from this campaign, or engage, commit, and ultimately educate America.

You've taken the first step. Your message has reached me. I pledge to fight the "pop" usage of this image anywhere I see it in my everyday life. I get it now, and I didn't before. I think that should give you hope that this campaign really can change America. Barack challenges us to speak up, because he knows speaking honestly can heal.

I'm a volunteer, and don't speak for the campaign. I believe this campaign stands for the values honesty, empathy, and personal responsibility.

Tips for visibility at Cliinton Events

Michael Blackburn — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:49:56 EST

I've seen a couple people interested in getting out to Hillary Clinton events to support Barack. Think of it this way: if you're wearing a Barack t-shirt at a HRC rally, rightly or wrongly, you will be seen as a "representative of the campaign." As such, you owe it to all of us to put our best foot forward.

I think the key is to remember that some of Hillary's support is diehard. If you get into a confrontation, you're NEVER going to convince that diehard hillary supporter to change her mind. However, by your calm and pleasant example, you MIGHT convince a passerby/observer that Obama's message of a new politics is real and possible.

Here are some ideas of non-intrusive ways to be an effective ambassador of the campaign.

Help people find parking.
Help "li'l ol' ladies" get into the event.
Smile a lot, especially in the face of someone being rude to you.
Pick up trash.
Follow the rules. If it's private property and you're asked to leave, LEAVE. Yes, they can do that.
Most of all, have fun! You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

Obama down by 30 points and 800 delegates!!!!!

Michael Blackburn — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 23:07:13 EST

Two words of recent history: New Hampshire.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/11/91158/5807/161/454432

Clinton v. Obama on Legislative Experience:

Michael Blackburn — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 20:41:54 EST

Senator Clinton, who has served only one full term (6yrs.), and another year campaigning, has managed to author and pass into law, (20) twenty pieces of legislation in her first six years. These bills can be found on the website of the Library of Congress (www.thomas.loc.gov), but to save you trouble, I'll post them here for you:

Establish the Kate Mullany National Historic Site.
Support the goals and ideals of Better Hearing and Speech Month.
Recognize the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Name courthouse after Thurgood Marshall.
Name courthouse after James L. Watson.
Name post office after Jonn A. O'Shea.
Designate Aug. 7, 2003, as National Purple Heart Recognition Day.
Support the goals and ideals of National Purple Heart Recognition Day.
Honor the life and legacy of Alexander Hamilton on the bicentennial of his death.
Congratulate the Syracuse Univ. Orange Men's Lacrosse Team on winning the championship.
Congratulate the Le Moyne College Dolphins Men's Lacrosse Team on winning the championship.
Establish the 225th Anniversary of the American Revolution Commemorative Program.
Name post office after Sergeant Riayan A. Tejeda.
Honor Shirley Chisholm for her service to the nation and express condolences on her death.
Honor John J. Downing, Brian Fahey, and Harry Ford, firefighters who lost their lives on duty. Only five of Clinton's bills are, more substantive.
Extend period of unemployment assistance to victims of 9/11.
Pay for city projects in response to 9/11
Assist landmine victims in other countries.
Assist family caregivers in accessing affordable respite care.
Designate part of the National Forest System in Puerto Rico as protected in the wilderness preservation system.
There you have it, the fact's straight from the Senate Record.

Mmmm... Hillary's Excellent Management Skills

Michael Blackburn — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:43:24 EST

Apparantly Hillary's campaign has yet to pay their cleaning bills for November, December and January. This is SHAMEFUL. Especially from a candidate whose entire case for the presidency is her competence!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23115569#23114259

The Supers have their own campaigns to worry about

Michael Blackburn — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:06:21 EST

It is EXTREMELY unlikely that the superdelegates will "throw" the election to a candidate who has not won the majority of support. Sen. Clinton is winning in Superdelegates only because she started racking them up at the very beginning of the race.

When it comes right down to it, 90% of the superdelegates will have their own name downballot of the Presidential candidate. Their choice will then to run alongside a candidate who is bringing in new voters by the truckload, and one who consolidates and motivates voters from an otherwise dispirited opposition.

Given the clear calculus of the Obama candidacy, I am absolutely confident that he will win a significant share of the supers, even a significant chunk of those who were once pledged to Sen. Clinton.

That said, slack not. make calls, knock on doors, and donate. There's only about 10 weeks to go before Pennsylvania.

Promises, Promises

Michael Blackburn — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 13:17:01 EST

I am confounded by the state of mind some people have about this competition:

On the one hand, they claim to be "cynical realists" who want specifics about "what the candidate will do for me." So, wait. You're jaded by politicians, so you want politicians who give you the same old campaign promises?

On the one hand they say "Without Washington experience, you can't get anything done." Then they say "Obama's not in the legislature, how can he make all this change he's promising?" So, wait. Either the Executive office can direct the government or it can't. You can't call it both ways.

On the one hand they say "I want a candidate who's going to fight for the little guy." Then they support the candidate who spent years on Wal-Mart's board without a peep against anti-union practices.

At best, providing a laundry list of plans and details is a transactional system. You give me your vote, here are the things I will do for you. Never mind that the President has an up-or-down vote on legislation as it comes in and has no say in the legislative process. At worst, this is same-old, same-old politics.

Obama does provide some specifics about the initiatives he wants to pass, but his campaign's emphasis is on empowering people to participate in the process, to engage in the system in a way not seen in decades. If he's short on specifics, I say fine. No politician, Obama included, can deliver on their promises anyway. Let's elect someone whose judgement is clear and whose moral compass has a true north.

Beware the Swiftboats!

Michael Blackburn — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 17:39:12 EST

We are all very excited about Barack Obama's strong fundraising capability. However, there is a seamy underbelly to fundraising. Hillary's donors have cast their lots with her, and have Lincoln bedroom stays and ambassadorships riding on her success. They will not sit on their wallets just because "the rules" say they cannot contribute any more to the Clintons' campaign in the primary season!

Remember, the Clintons have proven they will say anything, do anything to win. That money will find its way to 527 groups that are "not part of the Hillary Clinton campaign."

This meme needs to get out ahead of the inevitable Swiftboating, so undecided voters will see it for what it is. We all know how hard it's been to discredit the reprehensible religion and patriotism smears. Imagine if those are put into a slick mailer or a television buy!

Be on guard!

Buying or investing?

Michael Blackburn — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 17:29:11 EST

It's a matter of perception. Are we hiring the next president, or are we selecting our leadership? Do we want someone to run it for us, or do we want someone to open it up for us to run it ourselves?

If you're in the first camp, you're buying shares in HillCorp. In the second, investing in America.

Me, I'm an investor.

I finally know what "Fair and Balanced" means!

Michael Blackburn — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 17:08:42 EST

If you read the Cafferty file I posted about before:

http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/07/does-gop-have-an-edge-over-democrats

You'll notice that there are maybe four times as many comments saying this is no benefit to the Republicans. But out of some warped conception of "fairness" they will put up four quotes, two saying it does and two saying it doesn't. That must be what Fox meeans by "Fair and Balanced!"

Of course. And it's at least half true. They're taking the positions of a small sliver of the country and presenting them in a "balanced" way against the position of the majority of Americans.

And yes, I know Cafferty is a CNN bloviator. It just hit me as I was posting this how utterly rudderless our conception of media "fairness" is: give half the time to a position held by a vanishing minority and presenting it as if it is the opinion of half the country.

Cafferty File question:

Michael Blackburn — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 16:40:02 EST

Does GOP have an edge over the Democrats?

http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/07/does-gop-have-an-edge-over-democrats/

Here are my "awaiting moderation" comments:
Absolutely not. Especially with McCain as the nominee, because his Bush Redux positions are not getting any fresher. Moreover, I had no idea, but it appears he's the Hillary Clinton of the Republican party.

In the meantime Barack Obama gets a chance to go state by state across the country. He's already proven that when voters see him, they vote for him. So yes, by all means, let's hit all fifty on the way to the nomination. What's more, he's bringing in money hand over fist, so he can be building and battle-testing his grassroots organization in each of fifty states. By the time he's the nominee (cue the shrillbots) he will have a formidible lead in mindshare. There is absolutely no way McCain can compete with the Obama juggernaught if he has to go to the wire to get the nomination.

I honestly think Hillary sees this, and is staying to help Barack win. See guys, she isn't all bad!

Michael

Obama Corps?

Michael Blackburn — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:16:10 EST

I've been pondering an Obama Corps movement. I live in Chicago, and there are frequently workers showing up at the HQ when we have no phones, and ask them to make phone calls on their own dime (and lots of folks do). Do not take this as saying you aren't needed at HQ. The address is 300 W. Adams, 10th floor. Lots of calls to be made.

But I've thought about reaching out to the community organizers in Chicago (and maybe now the rest of the February states) to compile some other tasks that need to be done, and siphoning off some of the Obama enthusiasm to actually make peoples' lives better NOW.

I mean, when you get right down to it, the majority of work on a campaign is calling and talking to other voters. We're getting to a point of saturation with that. People in the smaller targeted Super-tuesday states were getting a couple of calls a night. We certainly don't want to piss anybody off.

What I figure is that we take Obama's suggestion of "helping little old ladies across the street (whether they like it or not)" and put some of these kids to work directly in the neighborhood. You're going to get free media from it, and it will be positive. And what's going to move the vote of a senior citizen, getting a phone call from a 20-year old starry eyed kid, or seeing that starry eyed kid in an Obama tee-shirt picking up trash?

I'm thinking the latter. I'm submitting this idea to the Obama campaign by going to the Issues section under Service. Do you have ideas? Post them here, then submit them!

Make some calls!

Michael Blackburn — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 15:16:16 EST

T-minus four hours to Super Bowl kickoff. The great news of endorsements and polls CANNOT distract us from the work to be done. I believe this is how we lost New Hampshire. We must do all we can!!!!

Take a minute, go to the Action Center, and do ONE round of phone calls for the campaign, at least. We must talk to as many people as possible. There is a huge swell of support for Barack, and talking to people will further energize you.

I'm going to a watch the game, so no calls after kickoff. I'd guess for many Americans (especially in the NY/NE area), calls will not be welcomed during the game. Take this time to write an email to your addressbook, or call a friend you know won't be watching the game.

Identity politics

Michael Blackburn — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 02:35:55 EST

As an Obama supporter it makes me sad to see people so caught up in the "identity politics" of their party. I'm an Obama Republican. I just want a leader that is smart, has good judgement, and doesn't make me ashamed of my country. And for that I get called names by someone hiding behind an anonymous name. What's most sad is that because they can't spell, or write in complete sentences, or separate their thoughts into coherant paragraphs, they will never be able to communicate their thoughts to anyone.

In the marketplace of ideas that I believe in as a Republican, it pays to take a little time to package your product well. Obama does that. When he speaks, I can see the injustices that he describes and understand that they were wrought by my party. What's more, I am inspired by him to work to fix that, and that through my SERVICE (a word I now realize is bandied about by many without any firsthand knowledge of anything but self-service) it can be resolved.

So yes, please call me names BozoDaClown14, I really don't care. I just got home from a long day on the job, and I'm going to bed. Tomorrow, I'll get up and go to service, and then get back to work fixing this country in some small way..

Words, Words, Words

Michael Blackburn — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 02:10:51 EST

On blogs, I'm seeing Obama detractors dismissing "soaring rhetoric" and "pretty speeches." They insist that getting legislation passed is something best left to the "experienced." I'm sorry, I must disagree.

You think a politician jumps when he gets a call from a donor? He jumps twice as high when he's getting a hundred calls a day from constituents. There is still fear in the Washington establishment of the power of the people. They call it the "bully pulpit" for a reason.

Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we?

Name me an initiative G. Washington "managed through the process" as president that's read in a U.S. history class the way his Farewell Address is.

Can you name legislation Lincoln signed or failed to sign that is regarded higher than the Gettysburg Address? I'm sorry, the slaves were freed by executive order. Thanks for playing!

How many of your grandfathers can name more New Deal programs than they have teeth? How many of those same grandfathers can tell you exactly how they felt during at least one of FDR's fireside chats?

Republicans worship Reagan, but not because he slashed welfare and funded Contras. It's "Morning in America" and "Tear Down this Wall" that cast such a long shadow over their current candidates.

America IS an ideal. We started the whole idea of liberal democracy. It DIDN'T EXIST before us. Our contribution to humanity is NOT that people had a parliament and a vote. It's that the government was embodied in a DOCUMENT, in words, and not a MAN.

Is it a coincidence that democracy is faltering around the world today: in Pakistan and Kenya, in Iraq and Russia? Could it be because WE have faltered in leading the world with the conduct of our OWN democracy?

And some people want to go back to Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Deny the power of a President's words? Only someone who debated The Meaning of "Is" can get away with that.

Hillary babbles about Pakistan.

Michael Blackburn — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:31:36 EST

http://watandost.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-much-hillary-clinton-knows-about.html

Welcome the Clintonistas, my fellow Obamans!

Michael Blackburn — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 01:12:49 EST

You may have noticed an influx of posters giving us their story of having "supported Obama for a while now" but "turned off by"

CIRCLE ONE OR MORE: muslim, whining, lying, Race card.

You'll notice this is the "long time supporter's" first post on our site.

Rejoice for them. The word has gone out among the Clintonistas, whispered like a prayer, furtively passed from one to the next, the Good News spreads: "Obama's site doesn't censor your posts!" Drawn by the light of freedom, they flock here like moths.

But the programming they have endured before coming here is very very strong. Poor things have been fed nothing but BS and Kool-aid for quite some time. The first few posts are bound to be pretty sick as they purge the poison from their politics. Like all God's children, they only seek freedom.

I've found it's very refreshing to them if I take a personal interest in their efforts, and "sponsor" them their first few days. If you have the means, offer to contribute to Obama's campaign for every blog post they write. Something small, like $5/post, $1/comment may give them just the motivation they need to stick around, who knows, maybe they'll heal that much faster. If you can't afford to sponsor them at least send them a smile, pat them on the head and tell them to "keep coming back. It'll get better."

This is a big tent, people. Sometimes folks will wander in, clearly confused and covered in mud. Yes, they are frightening. But these may be the "least of my children" we are called on to serve. Let's all stand up and give them a hand!!!!

On the Present Votes...

Michael Blackburn — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 10:50:44 EST

I think it's funny that candidates campaigning that they know "how it works" are going after Barack about his "Present" votes. Here is the deal, and how this FURTHER shows Barack's principled stand on good government, and his deep commitment to good government above good politics.

Barack voted present 130 times among 4000+ votes. As he pointed out in the debate, the bill Hillary brought up on sex offenders is one HE SPONSORED. Well, WHY would he do that? WHY would you sponsor a bill and not vote for it? Is Barack a flip-flopper? NO. He believed the law was unconstitutional. The argument that "it hasn't been struck down yet" just exposes an "anything goes" attitude to politics and government.

WHY does it matter that Barack withheld support from a bill he sponsored, but when it came up for a vote believed to be unconstitutional? Because bills don't get struck down "just because." They get struck down when someone is convicted of the crime and challenges the constitutionality of the bill. WHAT happens if the bill is unconstitutional? The offender, who was convicted of the crime by a jury of his peers, and perhaps even had an appeal on the merits of his conviction turned down, IS SET FREE because the lawmakers didn't take the time to make sure they got it right.

His campaign summed it up perfectly. Barack "doesn't vote for a bad law because it's good politics."

Principles, people. Principles.

missed opportunity at the debate

Michael Blackburn — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 01:07:27 EST

When Edwards and Hillary were batting back and forth their substantive disagreement on the definition of a lobbyist, I think a chance to "rise above" was lost.

When he finally got in, I wanted him to simply say:

"It will be the policy of my administration to have all non-classified meetings on C-SPAN, bar staffers from working on issues effecting an ex-employer for two years, and additionally bar all my staffers after leaving their position from lobbying the executive branch until the end of the administration.

I will end the dark of night tactics of the previous administration with my Sunlight before Signing policy. I will allow every bill, barring emergencies, to sit on my desk for five days before signing it, to allow the American people to take a look at it and comment on the White House website."

I don't know what he said, but when they started back and forth over his head I was pleading with him to simply state his policy and shut up. Didn't do it, and a chance was lost.

Find another gear

Michael Blackburn — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 19:39:41 EST

Watching the NFC championship game, and Donald Driver just got a great 90-yard touchdown catch. Watch closely. DD is no young buck. The defense has a good line at him. But he does what we hear sometimes as a cliche: he "finds another gear." He sees the goal line and finds a way to get past the obstacles.

This is what we need to do in this campaign. Especially with Mr. Obama's beautiful, stirring speech today.

Find another gear.

Uninsured and Immigration post (appeal to the head)

Michael Blackburn — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 13:59:26 EST

There's an expression:

"If you're young and not a Democrat, you have no heart. If you're old and not a Republican, you have no brains." You're appealing to your father's heart, which is the wrong language to use. Here are some "brains" arguments, which I believe are in sync with Obama's positions.

Remain Positive

Michael Blackburn — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 22:22:06 EST

The experience here is clear. We must continue to communicate our candidate's message. Daily. See my previous post about "Best Possible Outcome." Take every insult and slander and turn the other cheek. We won where it counts in Nevada, and we will continue to win in South Carolina, and we will turn this country around. This will NOT be easy.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/michaelblackburn/CGFq

Burning goodwill like an SUV

Michael Blackburn — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 17:51:35 EST

ClintonCo. is clearly going all out to win these first primaries. While I wouldn't be at all suprised to see them pull out YET MORE dirty tricks, I think they tipped their hand way too early on what kind of campaign they're running. It's going to cost them in the later primaries. By the time we get to Tsunami Tuesday, they're likely to get swamped in backlash.

My only concern is that the MSM seems committed to the storyline that this is "back and forth." It's anything but. I believe the military term is "asymmetrical warfare." Barack is not hitting back nearly quick enough. I think he's taking a little too long to write his comebacks. Fortunately the Clintons are anything but creative, so he can pretty much expect more of the same the rest of the way to the convention.

"They can't hear you"

Michael Blackburn — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 17:14:53 EST

That's what my wife tells me as I'm yelling at the screen, whether it's at my Tar Heels or at the MSNBC Clintomenators.

But there's a big difference between them. Watching a ballgame, I can bloviate till my face is Blue Devil blue (god forbid), but it won't change the outcome. It'll make me feel batter, but the outcome is totally out of my hands. Politics is the exact opposite of spectator sports in this regard. The outcome of this contest is totally IN my hands.

So after Nevada, we can gnash our teeth and rend our garments over our side losing a contest (unlike UNC, so far) or we can do more than pick up pompons.

We can pick up our phones. You can make phone calls from home, by going to ACTION > Action Center. The system will give you lists of voters, 20 at a time, to call. Generally it's a simple poll of support to start out. I spent this morning asking Minnesotans where their support is, and how strong. No matter who they supported, I could give them the local office's phone number and the web address of the Minnesota.barackobama.com website.

Here's how that's so effective. Iowa and New Hampshire voters are used to phone calls; Super Tuesday voters, not so much. I think we can put ourselves apart by putting a personal voice on this campaign. By connecting, and if they're inclined to talk, listening to their concerns, we're putting into action the "rhetoric" of the campaign that this country is so jaded by. People won't believe anything they see on TV, but in a one-on-one conversation, we have a chance to get our message through. We have a chance to make OUR voices heard, voter to voter.

The high-wire act

Michael Blackburn — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 00:24:40 EST

The approach a standard politician takes to "prepare" for a debate is they rehearse rehearse rehearse their "energy" answer, their "veterans" answer, their "Iraq" answer. Look at how Hillary and Edwards answered the question about enforcing the ROTC and military recruiters access to campuses. They both spent a sentence on the topic, then got off onto "caring for our veterans" spiel which had only a tangental relationship to the question. Barack's response was to talk about his college tuition credit program, and that military service is a qualification for that program. He is committed to listening to the question, and responding to it in a relatively unscripted way.

But that is a high-wire act, and he occasionaly takes a moment to ...uh... actually think about his answer. That doesn't "read" well among a public that, frankly, doesn't read much. And it results in answers that actually admit a weakness that's a problem for a candidate for chief executive.

So, yes, it's frightening to watch. Will our fellow citizens "get" what he's doing? Barack has faith in them, and I ... have faith in him. Faith in things not seen, right?

BAM!

Michael Blackburn — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:49:57 EST

A post I saw on another blog, which I think should be heard. I'm quoting the story directly, only breaking it into paragraphs for clarity.

THE "BAM"... The OBAMA Handshake! PASS IT ON AT THE NEXT OBAMA RALLY!

Having caught "Obama fever" like so many others rallying in support of Barack, I experienced something at a Barack Obama Rally on Thursday, January 10 at the College of Charleston here in Charleston, South Carolina, which I felt was both inspirational and spontaneous! As Barack worked the line following the close of his speech, there was a surge of people moving forward hoping to get close enough to shake Barack's hand. Since I was standing about 20 feet back from center stage in the crowd, I felt the crowd down front tighten as many of us stood on our toes, stretched our bodies forward while reaching out to Barack.

I noticed that a six foot tall guy who was standing in front of me had stretched far enough above the crowd and shook hands with Barack. As the guy drew back his hand I asked him, "You shook his hand didn't you?" Happily the guy said "Yes." I then said, "give me some of that" and the guy shook my hand with the same hand he had just clasped with Barack's.

A woman friend of mine who was standing next to me saw me shake hands with the guy. I turned to her and said "He [the guy] just shook hands with Barack," to which she responded..."Hey, give it up." We then shook hands. She then turned to the person next to her and shook hands. This chain of hand shakes went on for about five or six more persons.

I did not know the tall guy in front of me; he is white, I am black. But at the moment we shook hands, I felt some solidarity with this stranger, consummated by a handshake and signifying some unspoken agreement presumably about Barack Obama and his core message of UNITY!

I call this hand-shake scenario the "BAM" because, descriptively, it takes a bit of Obama's name and it's the sound of a collision, of People Coming Together!

Pierre MIROCHNIKOFF

Original Post

Equal Inconvenience Voting

Michael Blackburn — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:12:05 EST

One of the "arguments" being used by the people attempting to shut down the at-large caucuses in Nevada is that it's unfair that the strip workers are catered to, while other groups are not. True, they had their chance to voice these concerns BEFORE taking it to court, but our campaign is about compromise and inclusion.

So I would like to share an idea from "Corrinna" on another blog: A universally-inconvenient time be selected for the Nevada Caucus, such as, say 3:30 AM on Monday morning. I for one wholeheartedly support this idea! Which slogan do you think will work better:

"Get Up at Three for Hillary"
or
"Barack and Roll All Night!"

I rest my case.

Tempest in a teapot

Michael Blackburn — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 05:13:55 EST

The "race issue" is ENTIRELY manufactured by the media and other campaigns. Here's my interpretation of their strategy:

1. Say something that can be interpreted as racially insensitive, provoking response from across black community.
2. Put out statement blaming the Obama campaign for "playing the race card".
3. Sacrifice South Carolina, hopefully with a wide disparity in votes among Af. Amer to Obama.
4. In Feb 5th states, paint Obama as a "Black Candidate" a la Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton (no offense to their work in opening the door to Barack, but their campaign was intended to call attention to Black issues, not to be elected president).

You want a fight about the 2002 speech? Here it is.

Michael Blackburn — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 02:50:17 EST

One of the innuendos spread about Obama recently is that he "took down" the speech he made in 2002. Which is true, but not for the reason implied, that he no longer stands by those sentiments. It's still a public record, and can be found relatively easily. I'm an Obamaholic, so I've been looking around youtube for a video of it. I finally found the text of the speech, and I see now why he took it down: it's calling out the "Masters of War" by name, making it a bit more "partisan red meat" and not in line with the tone of the campaign today. He routinely uses the less partisan segments of it in campaign videos. Anyway, here's the link I found, judge for yourself:

http://usliberals.about.com/od/extraordinaryspeeches/a/Obama2002War.htm

What have you given since Iowa?

Michael Blackburn — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 00:07:05 EST

Are you a regular contributor to Obama's campaign? Have you, like me, been holding back since the convincing Iowa win to see if he "needs it?"

Well now he does. The bright red Donate Now button is somewhere on this screen, I know it. You've been obsessively refreshing the Blog page for the latest videos. Let's give him a big bump out of NH in cash.

Right ... Now!

yes we can!

Best Possible Outcome

Michael Blackburn — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 23:37:44 EST

Sure, a victory tonight in New Hampshire, especially a convincing cross-spectrum "pounding" like Iowa would have been nice. At that point, the MSM would have broken out the robe and crown. There was plenty of talk here about cabinet posts, and indeed even the Colin Powell "non-dorsement" was made out in the press as a detente by the General for an encore as Sec. of State. I myself was suggesting an Atty. General post for Edwards and magnanimously suggesting we find a place in the cabinet for Hillary to "wonk out." I now have to eat those words, and it reminds me of the bitter taste of the 2000 and the 2004 elections, where I knew afterward that I didn't give everything to beating Bush. To my credit, it's hard to give your all to a negative cause like that. I have a cause I believe in this year.

It will be a fight, just like all worthy goals are. We can be extremely proud of our close showing in NH. The credit goes to our volunteers there faced with ClinCorp, who have been organized in these early primary states for decades. The rest of us, maybe we relaxed a little bit. The mantle of "front-runner" wore a little easy on us. I know I haven't phone-banked this week, although I did several times for Iowa. I haven't contributed money since Iowa. If we'd won tonight, the temptation to coast could have grown even stronger, and the possibility of a Super Tuesday Suprise could have lost everything. Remember the fate of the Hare in his race with the Tortoise.

No, my friends, this is the best possible outcome for the Obama campaign. We will struggle on the ground, on the stump and on the airwaves. We will win the nomination only by the sweat and effort of every one of our movement. We will hone our organization and our campaign and we will win in Nevada and SC, win on Super Tuesday, win in November and make this country whole again.

Yes We Can.

Possible campaign song/Performer

Michael Blackburn — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 13:00:26 EST

Naturally Seven's remix of Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" is pretty impressive. The unproduced version they performed in the Paris Metro captures a lot of the spirit of the campaign.

If you agree, post this same link into your blog.

Refuting the "cult of personality"

Michael Blackburn — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 19:57:06 EST

On a number of "netroots" boards I'm seeing the following complaint, that the Obama movement is populated heavily by starry-eyed idealists who aren't able to articulate his positions beyond "Hope" and "Change" and "Fired UP." For those not-yet initiated, this appears a little creepy, even cultish. Here's the gist of my response to these critiques.

I've been a supporter a while, and there's definately a little frustration for these gung-ho latecomers. But that's the core of this movement; bringing people into the tent. The Volunteer offices are PACKED. Those kids that betrayed Dean and Kerry in '04 are showing up at the offices, and at least in Iowa, showing up at the polls; in equal numbers to seniors, no less.

The charges against him are:

that Obama is being vague on the stump and that
people are projecting their hopes and dreams onto him because of it.

First, stump speeches at this point in the campaign are supposed to be spirit over substance. They're about getting the people who agree with you to get out and vote for you. You'll need to look earlier in the year for heavy policy speeches. If you go on Youtube and search for "Obama full speech" you'll find lots of details all year, in Oakland and South Carolina, all over the country. If you want to read the speeches, check his website, the menu "Learn > Obama Speeches" has a ton of policy speeches. "A Call to Serve" is probably my favorite.

Second, the "projection" issue: that's a big part of the power of this campaign. Obama wants people to dream about the America they want. We know that at first they think that he'll do it for them (as every other politician promises to do). Butafter they come around a while, they'll see that the true power is in themselves. That they are the agent of change. The quote above the navigation panel says it all: "I'm asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about in real change in Washington ... I'm asking you to believe in yours." The projection is a phase, a symptom of the elation. If they are serious, they will take up the challenge to make the changes in their community demanded by that commitment.

One thing I know: Obama's going to continue to use the network he's built AFTER the campaign to put pressure on the legislative branch (even though they'll likely be Dem-controlled) to enact change and make the hard compromises to solve our problems. If you sign up on Obama's site, expect to hear from him for the next five years.

Republican locker room antics

Michael Blackburn — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:58:15 EST

Jeez, I hope the Dems behave better than the republicans. If there were a locker, they would have shoved Romney in it. Anyone good with Photoshop, a post-swirlee Romney would be hilarious.

NOT THE HAIR!!!
NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Does anyone read lips?

Michael Blackburn — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:50:28 EST

All the candidates are on one stage right now chatting and backslapping. I'd love to know what's being said on that stage. Some of the body language is pretty clear, like Richardson realizing he's been stuck chatting with Ron Paul. But I'd love to know what McCain said to Barack, or Guiliani and Clinton:

G: So, how's the no-longer-a-frontrunner going?
H: It's taking some getting used to. But I'll come back.
G: Oh, I hope so. Even I could beat you in the general!

It actually is pretty cool to see. Let's hope they work well together in the Obama administration.

Who made the "O" sunrise animation?

Michael Blackburn — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 19:21:56 EST

That thing is GENIUS. The logo itself is just OK, but the animation they use at the end of their official videos is beautiful.

For those who haven't seen it, it starts in monochrome, with the sun rising above a black landscape. Since you know this is the logo, you assume that's the top of the "O." But as it rises, the landscape is revealed to be the red & white stripes from the american flag. The perspective widens and the sun is revealed to be the center of the "O," not the top. It so perfectly captures the spirit of this campaign. The only knock on it is is that it's causing those of us who weren't around for Reagan's first campaign to resurrect the "Morning in America" phrase. But maybe that's not a bad thing.

The point of this post is to express my admiration, gratitude and congratulations to everyone responsible for that design. You absolutely nailed it.

Obama should go on Faux News shouting matches

Michael Blackburn — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 18:53:22 EST

Bear with me. Bill O'Reilly really only cares about ratings and Obama brings it. Bill made a ton of format concessions to get Michael Moore on, and Moore, even in the Farenheit media blitz, has no where near the clout Obama does. So Obama can have the interview structured to his benefit.

That's one of the difficulties in "reaching across" in today's fractured media landscape. The "other side" doesn't watch CNN. They don't even watch major networks. They go nowhere near a newspaper. They strictly watch shows that can be depended upon not to challenge their assumptions. The only way to talk to them is to go on these shows. Now, I'm talking about after he's got the nomination, for which there is much work still to do.

Now, there's absolutely NO WAY they will vote for him. But he may earn their grudging respect. I am still extremely concerned about the comparisons to JFK and MLK, because of what happened to them. If that's going to happen, it will be because of the hate and vitriol on these shows; the only way to counter that is to take the bull(sh*t) by the horns.

Obamaholism

Michael Blackburn — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 01:25:43 EST

My name is Michael and I'm an Obamaholic.

I know I'm not alone here. I have kept his speeches on a loop on my desktop at work. I began reading The Audacity of Hope last night and I'm on page 120. The 100 club is on in the background now, just waiting for Obama's turn at the mic.

I'm not alone. I'm seeing several others who are talking about this in the comments on the main blog. Here's the rub: is it making my life unmanagable? Can I be restored to sanity? Why am I so obsessed with this man's message, and am I just indulging in solipsistic feel-good-ism I've given six donations of $100 or less, matching two new donors. I've gone to the volunteer open house, and done a couple hours of phonebanking to Iowa.

But it's not enough, and it's too abstract. I don't feel I'm answering the call. But there's hope. I've noticed some changes in my actions. How I speak. How I treat strangers. I have an anecdote to share from this afternoon, and a challenge to throw down to my fellow obamaholics. Please Read More of my commute this afternoon.

Not the "Black candidate" they expected

Michael Blackburn — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 17:08:15 EST

I think a lot of people in the mainstream media (MSM) decided that this year there was a "female candidate" and a "Black candidate" and that Hillary would run in the vein of old-school feminism (she did, mostly) and Barack would run a campaign similar to Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton (he did not).

But the MSM just tuned him and his message out. They assumed the storyline they wrote would play out. You've heard what ASS-U-ME means, but this time the MSM is just making an a** of themselves with the "black candidate winning in white Iowa" storyline.

Because it's not about race: our candidate has been judged on the content of his character, not the color of his skin. And that judgement is resounding.

The Dream is Reality, but I'm still awake... and afraid

Michael Blackburn — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 05:56:12 EST

It's 4:30 AM, on what may be the true Morning in America. Obama's field staff in Iowa pulled in unprecidented support from indies and Republicans, and he carried the night by a wide margin. What's more, with the eyes of the country on him for fifteen uninterrupted minutes, he nailed a masterful summary of his stump speech, eloquent and presidential. He may very well have sealed up the election tonight.

If he survives it. I'm still awake, Not the night-before-christmas awake I was last night, but the frightened restlessness of a man afraid he's found something to beautiful to last. The talking heads were effusive in their praise for Obama's victory speech tonight: comparing him to Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King and JFK.

All three assassinated before they could bring about the fruition of their dream.