So the die hard Obama supporters are at it again. We're trying to stimulate the populous to stimulate the economy. Is anybody listening is the real question.
American citizens wanted a change. We voted to continue to create a more perfect union and it is becoming difficult to articulate what exactly is standing in the way.
It has occurred to me that people don't read history. Maybe most American Republican Senators aren't aware of Herbert Hoover's ineffective, "too little too late" attempts at balancing the budget in the first years of the Great Depression. Does Hawley Smoot Tarriff ring any bells? Well, Hoover was certain that protective tariffs and "buy American" legislation, could stave off a decline in domestic production and sales. This can't be our wrong doing causing a world depression. It must be the Europeans, he seemed to believe. WRONG.
Hoover also didn't believe in government aid to relieve human suffering. If you don't have a job, call a volunteer organization. I guess it didn't occurr to him that many volunteers and do gooders had lost their jobs and couldn't keep working the evening soup kitchen when their own families didn't have dinner on the table. Maybe he wasn't aware that the super rich philanthropists stopped handing money out after their personal assets had been relatively crushed with the stock market crash. When he finally got around to realizing, "golly" the masses need a little help, he wanted to use trickle down economics. This was in the form of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation in 1932. It was a loan authority for railroads, banks and municipalities to keep them from collapsing. He did adhere to the belief, to the bitter end that the richest would spend enough to get the economy moving enough to let the lowly middle class and the poor have enough to eat to keep them from revolting.
Well, I think that mindset is revolting. I just can't figure out why it's happening all over again and the only people that seem to be angry we are not passing the stimulus plan before all hell breaks lose are the workers. Everybody loses if we have a depression.
It seems to me, not that it matters, that President Obama doesn't realize how many millions he could mobilize if we had a clear direction. We can get him elected but now we need to overturn the Washington media establishment that makes light of the idealists that elected him. We should all be deeply offended. John McCain should not be trying to block him. Arizona needs this bill as much as Connecticut. We need a campain of bright articulate people that can converge on Washington and have a rally that the media will not discredit.
Middle class people will become poor. The poor willl be desperate. But the rich, the rich will be just fine.
I wonder if Toni Morrison believed she would live in a time when an African American man that defined the ultimate "look" for young boys. As my son looks forlornly at his thin straight blonde hair and Slavic looks, he longs for African ancestors.
As anyone with young children and particularly adolescent males can tell you, this Hollween everyone wants to be Barack. The masks are sold out in every Party City and Holoween store and even online. Now, having worked in costumes Off Broadway for several years after college I was able to convince my son that if he really wanted to be Barack Obama for his Holloween dance at school he should, it's an easy sostume. Hmmm he said wanting to be poolite but not knowing how to tell me that I just didn't get it. We were treading around a landmine: or were we?
I said the costume is pretty easy;Barack wears almost a uniform on the campaign trail; white shirt, blue tie, dark pants or kakhis, dress shoes, slightly battered from galavanting cross country. "But, ..." Long silence. "Mom, my hair, my eyes...." "Oh ." I replied. Okay your eyes, well I can't do anything about pale blue eyes, but the blonde hair, you have a point, you'll just look like a little prep dressed for boarding school. We need a wig." "A wig?! Obama shaves his hair so short. I'll just shave my head.""NO." I replied. "our love had to be infused with reason. Okay. I have an idea. We got dressed and went to a wig store I knew was frequented by African American women. Having made my son feel awkward enough I thought I might as well go all the way. I explained the situation,"what do you have in a short man's Afro. My son wants to be Barack Obama for Holloween? The women laughed in a friendly and loving way. "What a good idea child. Forget those silly masks, they don't do him justice." She went on a search. All we could dome up with was a sixties Afro. When we put it on my son mutually we thought, "Obama at Harvard law school.Yes." Now if it hadn't been a sixth grade dance we might have gone with that. A nice brown leather jacket, the Jermaine Jackson look with some books. We've all seen the picture of the law school years. No, sixth graders won't get it. I asked her, what do you think if I cut it? He has a long fro, now we cut it to Obama's length. Awesome idea. Wait....Awkward pause, then she asked.."What are you going to do about his skin?.....Pause.
Now picture this .."My son attends about the most racially integrated public school in America. Who knows, maybe it is. There are children from thirty natoins speaking a multitude of languages. This has to do with both the influence of Yale University graduate housing, New Haven's immigrant population, and the typical urban population mixed into one pot. I speculated what would students who have heard their parents battling the stain and oppression of racism think when a child comes inn with an Afro and his face darkened? Not a good idea. So I thought, "How many times have I see beautiful African American children dressed as Cinderella, or Belle or Ariel? Hundred...that's how many. What do they do? Wear the costume, approximate the hair vila. You don't change the skin tone for a lot of reasons....think about it. So we cut the wig which was a laborious process. When my adorable son put in his new dark hair closely cropped, there was no doubt who he was impersonating....no emulating Perfect. Sure a few kids tried to make fun of him, but really what's there to make fun of with Barack. By the way, my son's ears stick out. It was the first time he was happy at about that.
The flames fueling racism, hatred, division, and fear by Senator McCain, Governor Palin, and their collaborators (including Connecticut ’s Senator Lieberman) prove that neither candidate is fit for the nation’s highest offices. During recent campaign swings in Florida and elsewhere, McCain and Palin have shown how low they will go to put victory first, instead of country. This great nation faces a severe economic crisis, a war without end in Iraq and a rapidly deteriorating Afghanistan , home to the terrorists that attacked us, and a solution to find viable alternative forms of energy. Instead of constructive engagement on these and other pressing issues, the McCain-Palin ticket seeks to divide, and worse, ignore angry crowds calling to “kill” Senator Obama, cut off his head, or label him as a “terrorist,” the latter due to a loose association with William Ayers. Mr. Ayers formed the Weather Underground and was involved with this group when Senator Obama was only eight. They point to a dinner in which a then State Senator Obama attended with Mr. Ayers as “proof” of this misguided notion, and ignore the fact that the men barely know each other, or that Mr. Ayers has been sought out as his new role as an educational consultant by Democrats and Republicans alike. In addition, Mr. Ayers is presently employed by the University of Chicago , known for its conservative leanings. Senator Lieberman has claimed that such flimsy evidence is “fair game,” and he should know better since he was an Attorney General, and if he used such circumstantial evidence, he’d be laughed at by the court. Lieberman has not disavowed his relationship with the ultra rightwing radical Rev. Hagee, a man who attacks Catholics and admires Adolph Hitler. Once, Senator Lieberman was a voice of reason and non-partisanship, but he lost his way. A fitting end to his actions would be for him to be tossed out of the Democrat Caucus when Americans overwhelmingly throw out the party most responsible for our nation’s troubles, Republicans. Similarly, on November 4, let’s hope that the primary agitator of hate, Sarah Palin, returns to her small town of Wasilla , otherwise known as the “meth capital of Alaska ” where she can do no harm, and will keep a watchful eye on our “neighbor,” Afghanistan . John McCain can return to his Senate office and wonder why he bought into the plan of hate and division spewed by the disciples of Karl Rove, the man responsible for terminating his campaign using the same dirty tricks in 2000. McCain, Plain, and their partners in crime have resorted to these deplorable tactics because they are lagging the polls, and have nothing else to offer Americans- no coherent plans, just the same disastrous policies of George Bush and Dick Cheney. It is unconscionable that both would fuel the fire of hate to the point where their flock calls for violence against Barack Obama and they remain silent. McCain and Plain need to stop breeding such contempt, and while there has been a long history of dirty politics, this brand is truly irresponsible and dangerous. Americans deserve better.
Sincerely,
Adam Silver
Fear & chaos on the campaign trail. Followed Raoul since '68 but that was nothing compared to this century. On that last night of 1999, we sang along with tapes from Ragtime, a play we had seen the day before, and dreamed of which of our dot.com ideas would change the world (and make us rich and happily alive ever after). We had no idea. '68 was a party compared to this. Who knew the constitution was so fragile? It's a good thing the nuns who shepherded us through biweekly air raid drills didn't live to see the 21st century. Who would have thought that Capitalism, that shinning construct defended so mercilessly by Commie-hunting congressmen of the '50s, would be given the bums rush by congressmen in emergency session to hold an untold Armageddon at bay. And we were relieved. Legislators legally cooked up a bill basted with enough pork needed to entice naysayers who would otherwise proudly sacrifice us. To be continued. If I get to it. Maybe. Eileen
On Friday, September 26th, 2008, Liam Schulyer and Paloma Mabellon (me!) hosted a virtual debate watch party in Second Life. We had 72 attendees at this virtual event which featured streaming audio of the debate from National Public Radio.
The event kicked off at 5:30pm (SLT) 8:30 (ET) and avatars started arriving to Hope Beach where we provided Obama flags and seating in the amphitheatre. Some avatars were totally decked out in their best Obama gear. Take a peek at the photo album to see! Folks represented states from all parts of the country: Oregon, Michigan, Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Indiana, just to name a few.
It was a reunion of sorts for me because I had invited a number of my colleagues from Sloan-C and from the Mass Distance Learning Project. I was moved to see Roberto Burner show up after having created his avatar only 45 minutes before the debate began!
It was certainly an evening of multitasking. As I watched the debate, I took pictures, participated in the local chat with attendees, and even had a sidebar Skype conversation with some of my colleagues who were at the virtual event too.
At the conclusion of the debate, we rolled out the dance floor and started our jazz infused dance party. It felt great to celebrate Obama's success in the first debate.
The location for all our events is:http://slurl.com/secondlife/Donggyeo/16/93/22
Pictures from the event can be viewed in Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=160775&l=7856b&id=809320113
Being a part of this movement for change has brought me so many new and wonderful friendships of people all around my home state of Connecticut and across the country, as well. A couple of weeks ago, one of my friends, Dee Marshall, emailed me to come to a fundraiser in Woodbridge CT and say a few words about our grassroots movement.
At first, I thought to myself I already have something to do earlier that morning but then I continued to read further. The theme, Hats On, hooked me. This was a ladies' garden party fundraiser and everyone was asked to wear their favorite hat for Barack.
Having grown up in Harlem and spending Sunday mornings at Canaan Baptist Church, telling me to wear my favorite hat to a ladie's garden party --- say no more! And I knew if my friend Dee Marshall would be there so would Sheila Alexander and Christine Josie and so many other wonderful grassroots volunteers decked out in their hats. This was going to be something! And it was.
When I arrived near the street of our host, Deborah Desir, there was no place to park. Cars were lined up several blocks surrounding her home. When I walked into the backyard, before me was a sea of beautiful ladies of all colors and hues, (and a few gentlemen) wearing all manner of hats with feathers and plumes, all different colors and sizes, caps and more. A group of Muslim ladies attended wearing brightly colored head scarves. It was beautiful!
State Representative Toni Walker was on hand to encourage everyone to utilize the Neighbor to Neighbor tool on the national web site. Dr. Sheila Alexander presented an action plan on getting out the vote. State Treasurere Denise Nappier also stopped by to encourage everyone to take action and help get out the vote in every neighborhood.
All those who spoke, the message was unanimous -- make sure that everyone who is eligible is registered to vote and votes on election day.
It was clear that everyone was energized, as many plans for voter registeration activities, phone banks, canvassing and more were formed by small groups of ladies in their beautiful hats, caps and scarves, clustered around the tables at their garden party.
The beat is on in Connecticut's first Congressional District! Last week, a group of grassroots volunteers took some time out of their day to visit Weaver High School in Hartford, CT. Their purpose -- register high school students who will be 18 years old by November 4, 2008. Lead by Hartford's City Councilwoman and Majority Leader, rJo Winch, the group entered Weaver determined to reach as many students as possible.
The reception by the students was awesome. They were delighted to register to vote. Members of the group explained the importance of voting and the history of just one vote.
In a manner of a couple of hours, 100 Weaver High School students became regsitered voters!
Majority Leader Winch is working out the necessary details to obtain permission to allow students to go vote during the day. Grassroots volunteers are organizing van rides to pick up the students to drive them to and from the polls on November 4th so that they can vote.
Hartford's grassroots volunteers are determined to reach out to the other high schools in Hartford and set up the same kind of voter registration drive, coupled with van rides on election day!
I'm sick and tired of hearing those not in education argue over education. They all say pay good teachers more and kick out the bad ones. Problem is, how the hell do you measure that? Test scores. Please. Do you want to see how fast all qualified teachers run from the inner cities to the suburbs in hopes to find higher test scores. Truth is, if you want higher test scores, that's all you have to do. The more wealthy and well-educated the parents of the kids are, the higher the test scores.
Studies show that the best indicator of how a student will read in 11th grade is how he or she read in 3rd grade. Not much changes. If we haven't instilled the love of books, the culture of school, and the vocabulary necessary to be competitive by the time these kids get to school, they won't catch up. The problem begins in the home. Those who have failed in school, and for whom school has a negative connotation, are those who will have trouble producing successful students. The best students and readers come from families who have read to their kids since birth, who read for fun themselves, and who do no accept failure from their children when they go to school. Show me a kid who is punished for a C+, and I'll show you a student who does well in school (disabilities aside).
Now, it's easy to say that, as an educator, I do not want to shoulder the blame, so I blame the parents. In fact, I am the exception to the rule I just put forth. My parents did poorly in school; in fact, my mother was a high school dropout. My father got by enough to graduate. So, how did I get where I am -- a self-proclaimed intellectual teaching high level philosophy to 11th graders in an American Literature course who got a perfect score on his PRAXIS and graduated from college Summa Cum Laude?
Well, in high school I wasn't such a hot shot. I had a C average or so and couldn't understand why I would try any harder than I had to. My parents couldn't afford college and nobody seemed to have any clue what I had to do to get in, so forget it -- too much trouble. I didn't go back to school until 10 years after I graduated. When I did, I excelled. Why? Acedemics at home had failed me, and I failed because of it. See, I was right afterall.
What changed in college. Three things: my natural curiosity took over, my natural competitive drive took over, as a new father and provider for my family education had a whole new meaning, and I happen to have a genious IQ that I finally put to use. So, how do we take the natural curiosity and competitive drive of students and combine it with a knowledge that what they do in school can improve their whole life. Damned if I know -- yet.
I do know what DOESN'T do that. School choice. The Republicans, namely John McCain, seem to think the way to make a student read better is to send them to a private school. This is racist, segregational, code for take the poor white kid away from all the ni****s in the ghetto school he's going to and he'll do better. THEY are rubbing off on OUR nice white boys. So, we leave all the unfortunate students who are cursed by families who do not value education enough to seak out a voucher to rott together as if it were they're fault. In fact, it may not be their family's fault. They may have been "left behind" as well. So, no child left behind other than those that "darken" our private schools.
Taking funding from "failing" schools (most in the inner cities -- big shock) is not the answer. This is also segregation and racism. So, the kids are failing the tests. Take all the kids from the highest scoring school in your state and swap them with all the kids from the lowest scoring school in your state and see what happens. Do you think the teachers at the failing school are so bad that all of a sudden these wealthy, white students with well-educated parents are going to start failing. No way. And do you think these inner city or rual students who have done poorly on tests are magically going to succeed after being touched by these Super Teachers. Not a chance. The only reason the failing school is failing is because it is filled with failing students segregated by income. Now I'm not even talking about race, although minorities are much more victimized by this trend, but economics. If you live in the poor neighborhood, the perception is that you are cursed and you fail.
How do we fix that? Revenue sharing between districts? Tax payers in one town would freak over their money going to a poor town. They'd cry Communism. Maybe corperate sponsors for schools that can't afford themselves. I'm not so sure. Is this really a funding issue? I think as long as I have a board and something to write on it with and some books I can teach. All the technology in the world won't change the basic facts and skills we are trying to teach. It's the culture that's the problem. A "learning is lame and we're never getting out of here anyway idea." If you want to fix the culture, then fix it. How, you ask?
People are planning to vote McCain over Obama because Obama is too intellectual, nerdy, professorial -- "not like me." We don't value intelligence. We don't want to pay for it. We don't want to sacrifice for it. We say we want better education, but we really do not care. Books are for dorks; real people watch tv and drink a beer and pay 9 bucks for it at the billion dollar stadium while their kid goes to a school in crowded classrooms that are falling apart. Some message we are sending to students. And we wonder why they fail!
She might be Dick Cheney in a dress; we already know McCain is Bush. Both are dangerous- pass this note along to your Republican and Independent friends...
>>Dear classmates - >> >>As an Alaskan, I am writing to give all of you some information on >>Sarah Palin, Senator McCain's choice for VP. As an Alaska voter, I >>know more than most of you about her and, frankly, I am horrified that >>he picked her. >> >>The most accurate description of her is red neck. Her husband works in >>the oil fields of Prudhoe Bay and races snow mobiles. She is a life >>time member of the NRA and has worked tirelessly to allow >>indiscriminate hunting of wildlife in Alaska, particularly wolves and >>bears. She has spent millions of Alaska state dollars on aerial >>hunting of these predators from helicopters and airplanes, dollars >>that should have been spent, for example, on Alaska's failing school >>system.We have the lowest rate of high school graduation in the >>country. Not all of you may think aerial predator hunting is so bad, >>but how anyone (other than Alaska wolf-haters, of which there are >>many, most without teeth), could think this use of funds is >>appropriate is beyond me. If you want to know more about the aerial >>hunting travesty, let me know and I will send some links to >>informative web sites. >> >>She has been a strong supporter of increased use of fossil fuels, yet >>the McCain campaign has the nerve to say she has "green" policies. The
>>only thing green about Sarah Palin is her lack of experience. She has >>consistently supported drilling in ANWR, use of coal-burning power >>plants (as I write this, a new coal plant is being built in her home >>town of Wasilla), strip mining, and almost anything else that will >>unnecessarily exploit the diminishing resources of Alaska and destroy >>its environment. >> >>Prior to her one year as governor of Alaska, she was mayor of Wasilla, >>a small red neck town outside Anchorage.The average maximum education >>level of parents of junior high school kids in Wasilla is 10th grade. >>Unfortunately, I have to go to Wasilla every week to get groceries and >>other supplies, so I have continual contact with the people who put >>Palin in office in the first place. I know what I'm talking about. >>These people don't have a concept of the world around them or of the >>serious issues facing the US. Furthermore, they don't care. So long as >>they can go out and hunt their moose every fall, kill wolves and bears >>and drive their snow mobiles and ATVs through every corner of the >>wilderness, they're happy. I wish I were exaggerating. >> >>Sarah Palin is currently involved in a political corruption scandal. >>She fired an individual in law enforcement here because she didn't >>like how he treated one of her relatives during a divorce. The man's >>performance and ability weren't considered; it was a totally personal >>firing and is currently under investigation. While the issue isn't >>close to the scandal of Ted Steven's corruption, it shows that Palin >>isn't "squeaky clean" and causes me to think there ay be more issues >>that could come to light. Clearly McCain doesn't care. >> >>When you line Palin up with Biden, the comparison would be laughable >>if it weren't so serious. Sarah Palin knows nothing of economics >>(admittedly a weak area for McCain), or of international affairs, >>knows nothing of national government, Social Security, unemployment, >>health care systems - you name it. The idea of her meeting with heads >>of foreign governments around the world truly frightens me. >> >>In an increasingly dangerous world, with the economy in shambles in >>the US, Sarah Palin is uniquely UNqualified to be vice president. John >>McCain is not a young man. Should something happen to him such that >>the vice president had to step in, it would destroy our country and >>possibly the world to have someone as inexperienced and inappropriate >>as Sarah Palin. The choice of Palin is a cheap shot by McCain to try >>to get Hillary supporters to vote for him. when McCain introduced her >>today, Palin had the nerve to compare herself with Hillary and >>Geraldine Ferraro. Sarah Palin, you are no Hillary Clinton. >> >>To those of you who, like me, supported Hilary and were upset that she >>did not get the nomination, please don't think that Sarah Palin is a >>worthy substitute. If you supported Hillary, regardless of what you >>think the media and the democratic party may have done to undermine >>her campaign, the person to support now is Obama, not Sarah Palin. To >>those of you who are independent or undecided, don't let the choice of >>Palin sway you in favor of McCain. Choosing her shows how unqualified >>McCain is to be president. To those of you who are conservative, I >>guess you have no choice for president. But please try to see how the >>poor choice of Palin tells us a great deal about McCain's judgment. >>While the political posturing inherent in the choice of Palin is >>obvious, the more serious issue is the fact that the VP is, literally, >>a heartbeat away from the presidency. Sarah Palin is totally and >>unequivocally unqualified to be vice president, let alone president. >> >>I know this is a lengthy and emotional email, but the stakes are high. >>I thought it might help for all of you, regardless of political >>affiliation, to know something about Palin from someone who has to >>live with her administration in Alaska on a daily basis.
As a relative unknown, many of you may not know much about Sarah Palin -- including how to pronounce her name. Well, I figured I'd take it upon myself to introduce her to members on mybarackobama.com. (File this under "you can't make this stuff up")
All-in-all, whatshername is definately a brilliant pick by McCain. I'm taking a longshot here, I know, but I'm willing to bet there is a female, conservative that can be spun as a maverick that isn't under any investigation and has some national experience of some kind. Any takers.
PS -- take a good look at the video of McCain standing behind her as she gave her speech Friday in Ohio. Watch is eyes closely. Is he checking out her ass? He really is! He can't keep them up. That nets TWO former beauty queen trophy wives for McCain. Did you really think he was a fighter for the advancement of women? Come on -- this is the guy who called his wife a "cunt" in public and only married her after his first wife became incapacitated due to a terrible accident AND the guy who runs around making rape jokes about apes... look it up!
While I was somehwhat miffed that we had to wait so long to find out who the VP would be, now that the emotional waiting is over, I can see the wisdom of the decision to wait. We now roll into the convention on a high, possibly keeping the VP bounce and combining it with the convention bounce. McCain will have a lame convention, with controversy over LIEberman, Bush, and Cheney, and a VP rollout that has already leaked (Romney) or will be extremely lame (Pawlenty). Obama, once again, has done it right and showed how he and his people will run this country the right way.
Now, the timing strategy is not the only important thing Obama has done right (I love the 3 AM phone call connotation to the text message). The man he picked is a great pick as well. While I would have been okay with Kaine or Bayh, and thrilled with Kerry, Gore, or Clinton, this is the right choice. We've got an experienced -- real experience Mr. McCain -- Catholic, white-working-class-lunchbucket Democrat with enough liberalism to satisfy Obama fans and enough "have a beer with" appeal to get those not so thrilled with Obama but wanting a change in Washington from the past eight years. I think this clinches PA and helps in places like Ohio and Michigan. What most don't notice as a possitive, in fact, most make fun of it, is the gray, balding head. We've done poorly with seniors. This should show them its okay to vote for Obama, he likes old folks, too.
The best part of Biden is his rhetoric. This guy just doesn't give a flying fudge. He may be toned back a bit until the election is over, but there will be plenty of sound bites to get under McCain's aging skin. See any of the debates for proof -- he's downright entertaining. "Noun, verb, and 9/11" -- priceless! He's able to use wit, charm, real straight-talk, and intellect to put ANYONE in their place. Even when he does go too far, the media seems to see it as charming and just Joe being Joe -- see the BS comment about Bush. Usually, his over-the-top jabs are on the money, not below the belt, so he gets away with it. I don't envy anyone who has to debate him. Romney may do okay, but lose handily; Pawlenty will be out of his element and look like he's taking a seminar class in America 101 from Prof. Biden.
So, "the biggest celebrity in the world" choses an everyday Joe. The VP pick is more about a message to the voters than anything. The message -- "I care about you, the middle class, the little guy." Don't let McCain fool anyone, its Obama who is for the people, by the people -- not McRealestate.
Sure, Biden's remarks about Obama not being ready will come back, but can be explained -- and if McCain taps Romney, we can do the same. Sure, it doesn't look like CHANGE, but Biden can always say he's been fighting to change Washington for over 30 years and now he has a chance to do it with Barack. The only other thing to get over is the fact that Obama-Biden sounds a bit like Osama BinLaden. I don't think that will be an issue. While McCain's chasing BinLaden to the gates of hell, possibly to join him there, Obama will be in the White House finding out that actually consentrating on Afghanistan will make finding BinLaden much easier than that. See you in hell, Johnny!
Now, since I've advocated for just about every possible VP shortlister (other than CHET EDWARDS??), do I still get to say "I told you so"? Guess not.
Yesterday, McCain responded to the comment from a supporter that the only way to win the war on terror is to reinstate the draft, to which McCain replied that he agreed with everything the woman just said. Now, McCain, to my knowledge, has not said anything since to defend himself. Some are saying, unofficially on his behalf, that he meant the rest of the things the supporter said -- not the last line about the draft. So, until someone asks him and we get a straight answer, we really don't know if a President McCain would bring back the draft. However, he has commented on this in the past, usually talking about an all-volunteer military. I did find this quote out there, though...
"I don't know what would make a draft happen unless we were in an all-out World War III." ...
As I have predicted several times on this blog, McCain very well may bring about this exact senerio. With troops in two countries and McCain rattling his saber and everything else at Russia, it seems we may be heading in that direction if we do not elect the guy that preaches deplomacy over world-policing. If McCain leads us to military action against Russia, it will quickly shape up as allies and former solviet countries verus Russia and Islamic countries who hate us. They will join with Russia in a convinient way to get to us. I see WWIII as Russia, Iran, and anyone else who decides to take that side against the typical Western countries. The wildcard -- China. What would they do with the two major nuclear powers fighting each other. Who will take this choatic mess as a chance to hit Isreal? It's not too much of a stretch. We could be heading toward a massive nuclear clusterfuck curtosy of President McCain. And in comes the draft.
I'm for deplomacy and world peace...that means a President Barack Obama. Well, stay tuned. Hopefully this house ownership gaffe teach middle class America who the real elitest is and turn this election on its head. We need a bump.
TTFN
I was thinking...
Does anyone else find it strange that the man that gave Barack Obama a huge break -- the keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention -- endorsed him early along with Ted Kennedy giving him big name credentials before his nomination seemed to be a foregone conclusion, and has spent his own PAC's money to defend Barack against "swiftboat" type attacks does not have a speaking slot at the convention. Of course we're talking about Vietnam War vet Sen. John Kerry. I'm just saying! I can hear the convention speech now, "Four years ago I stood before you and proclaimed 'help is on the way'. Well, today I am hear to proudly say.. help has ARRIVED and HIS NAME IS BARACK OBAMA!"
I've read many detractors of the idea on various posts, but they all seem to be Republicans using lines like "I hope it's him; that will kill Obama." If Republicans don't like it, there must be a reason. I like it (thought I've liked almost all of the picks) for several reasons.
All in all, I think this would be one of the top picks. Right now, though I predicted heavily Clinton, my list of who ought to be veep goes as follows...
1) Wes Clark -- vetran status, military experience, and change to Washington
2) John Kerry -- see above
3) Joe Biden -- many of the above for Kerry, but without the intangibles of just having been in the race four years ago
4) Hillary Clinton -- read other blogs for this one
5) Bill Richardson -- tons of experience, good speaker, good debater, western swing states
All the rest really don't even come close to this top five. I know we want change, but we don't need more inexperience, and we don't need a boring, expected announcement (AKA Bayh).
Just a thought.
It seems John McCain's ever increasing list of criticisms about Obama just keeps reflecting back at him. Even the media is finally coming around to see the hypocrisy of most of McCain's attacks. Here's just a small sample...
So, to recap, if McCain is elected, I predict...
There's the new slogan -- "A vote for McCain is a vote for THE END OF THE WORLD". I see the commericial now, will the REM song in the background (with persmission of course -- RIGHT JOHNNY!). And McCain calls Obama "The One" AKA Antichrist. More hypocrisy!
****Today's blog was "catharsis" for me. If you were offended, sorry. Unless you were a Republican or rich, wealthy, or well-connected -- then -- TOO DAMN BAD!!!
******UPDATE********
I just read some interesting history I was unaware of. Go to Google or Wikipedia and plug in "Keating Five Scandal" and learn something new about our buddy Johnny McCain. Why this has not come up in the media, I have no idea.
Though the recent speculation suggests otherwise, I can't help but be pulled back into thinking Barack will pick Hillary as VP. Despite what some ardent supporters say, the majority of the party, including those who are actually delegates (super or otherwise) want this. Here are some random thoughts brought to the surface by 40 minutes on the treadmill and a shower...
Whomever it is, I'm going to bet Hillary and keep my chips down until I know for a fact otherwise. It seems logical, neccessary, and the kind of overhyped trickery that Obama has become famous for. (No insult there; I'm all for overhype and trickery.) The other trick he could be pulling is naming Webb VP to speak about foreign affairs on Wednesday, meaning that whole overblown letter to Obama (something that never needed to happen, as others just flat out say they don't want the job) a prop to get Webb off the radar so he could be the surprise.
**********************************UPDATE**************************************
Mark Warner has just been named the keynote speaker of the convention and will deliver his speech TUESDAY night. This would make a crowded night, especially when it was being touted as "Hillary's Day" at the convention. This would probably upset Clinton followers as some attention would be diverted from the Hillary butt-kiss fest. THAT IS UNLESS... Hillary will be moved to Wednesday as the VP pick. It even makes more sense now.
For Warner this helps him in his bid for Senate in Virginia. The exposure will get him more turnout, and with Democrats flocking to the polls to get Warner, who is very popular in VA, elected, Obama stands to gain significant votes. This seems to be the plan for winning Virginia, a state he is already close in -- get voters enthusiastic about Warner through a convention speech to gain voters for himself. Appearently, that move means Obama thinks he can win Virginia through more subtle measures than making Kaine, Webb, or Warner the VP.
The hot rumor is now that Barack is back to Wes Clark for VP. This is due to the VP's speaking day being Wednesday at the convention, the day themed "Securing America's Future". The day is supposed to be about foreign affairs, protecting the country, and honoring veterans. The talk immediately switched to Kerry, Clark, Bayh, and Beiden. But once the bloggers realized "Securing America's Future" is Wes Clark's PAC, the spotlight moved entirely on Clark.
I know you're saying, didn't Obama reject and denounce Clark for his comments against McCain's military service. But he didn't really. He said that diminishing McCain's heroism, patriotism, and service wouldn't be accepted by anyone. He never mentioned Clark by name -- so, perhaps Obama doesn't feel Clark was doing that with his comments that crashing a helicopter doesn't make you automatically qulified for the job of president. Which, of course, is obviously true and not demeaning to McCain's service at all.
If we look back at his Meet the Press interview that turned to VP considerations, his answers about not trying to bring a state or get a "yes" man, but rather someone who could change Washington (a capital hill outsider), work with him and tell him when he disagrees, and bring a skill set that will be helpful in our challanges ahead, fit Clark to a T. So, do we have our guy? Who the hell knows at this point...I'll wait for an E-mail Sunday night and a rally Monday morning to find out for sure.
As you all probably know, we've been given the chance to know Barack Obama's vice presidential pick before the "general public". I know its exciting, and certainly, I was one of the first to sign up when I received the email. It sounds great -- expecially for those of us who have been chomping at the bit to know who will be joining Barack on our buttons and bumper stickers. The only problem is, it's not going to be THAT big of a deal to get the email or text message.
I'm sure many members of the press will have gotten the information before hand through their contacts and we will probably know a few hours to a day ahead of time. There will probably be headlines like, "Obama expected to text _________________________ is his VP pick today". Even if nothing gets leaked, and it really happens the way they say it will, members of the media will also be on that list and be writing their headlines ASAP. So, unless you are permanently strapped to your cell phone or computer, you're more likely to see the headline on your internet providers main page before you even log into your email.
Either way, it's a genious move. Get some cell numbers to call and bug for money, get some more publicity and buzz as the talking heads spend all week talking about the move, and show how change oriented and computer savvy the campaign is. Can McCain do this? I doubt it. If his people did a similar thing, he'd probably be the last to know who is VP was! It would at least open up the jokes about his age even more.
So, rumors are abound in the blogosphere. Many point to Hillary, saying that the reason Bill wasn't in the official press announcement of speakers for the convention -- it's been stated he will speak Wednesday before the veep -- is because he will really be taking the Tuesday slot reserved for Hillary, and she will be taking the Wednesday speach as VP. There is a lot pointing toward this resolution to Clinton v Obama, but we've had tons of evidence for this veep and that, and still nothing.
The other most popular rumor -- that he had already chosen Feingold and was just jerking us around to make it a surprise -- seems out the door. Feingold praised McCain and got headlines for it. He assured the public that McCain in power would be a maverick and would piss off the conservative right. That may help increase right wing distain for McCain and actually help in the polls, but at the same time reassured independents making it a crappy way to help Obama. So, he must be out.
I read an interesting one about Caroline Kennedy being named to the vetting committee to find someone better than herself -- Obama's first choice according to the rumor -- and she's been unsuccessful, so Obama is going to force her into action. The theory states that she is definately an outsider, brings the Kennedy brand, the Clinton people will understand picking THIS women and not be upset, and that she's really, really, really smart. I'm not buying this one. Of course with my luck lately, it probably will turn out to be true.
The final rumor is Al Gore. Appearently, he's said some things recently that contradicted his "I can do more good outside of government" and indicate he'd be willing to do America's number two job twice. I doubt this as well. This theory states that Gore is hungry for the White House, and a run in 2016 after veeping for Obama for 8 years is his best chance. I don't like that thought. It seems voters, especially Democratic leaders, would look at the ticket wishing it were reversed, killing enthusiasm for Obama.
I'm not hearing much on Kaine. He seems kinda lame and inexperienced, not to mention unliked by Obama's base because of his record on abortion and not fighting the death penalty. Then there's Bayh, who still may be the front runner if you go with conventional wisdom. What Obama keeps showing us, though, is he is NOT the conventional candidate and is not running the conventional campaign. Just look at Monday's convention schedule. Michelle is getting top billing that evening -- highly unusual. It's a good sign to the world that women are not just there to look pretty and hug the president when he's feeling down. She will be a key aid to him as a president, as she should be, and it will set a precedent for future first ladies. Perhaps we may see Michelle in the Senate some day in her own quest to be the first female president. Stranger things have happened.
Well, looks like we're in for an interesting two weeks. Stay tuned to your email and cell phones.
I read a blog today from someone who claimed to have worked extensively with Obama and also claims to be a personal friend of Hillary Clinton (liar or Senator?) and CLAIMS that they truly are friends. He or she said they both are very competitive and wanted to win, and they both understand that about each other. They have left the primaries behind and are ready to move on (Bill is another question altogether). If this is true, a VP nod may be coming for the Hillster. In their few appearences together since she suspended her campaign, they have looked very chummy together -- good actors or the real deal.
Some speculate that when they took a plane together after Obama met with his VP vetter in his law office, in the company of Caroline Kennedy (another vetter), the deal was done. The rest of this VP tango has been a ruse because he wants it to look like his choice, to be a surprise, and to be considered "defying conventional wisdom" -- an outside the box pick rather than the obvious choice.
Has the entire Democratic party been dragging us along on a magical, mystery ride just to come back to the original "obvious" conclusion. If Hillary's people are moved by her being on the ticket, and Obama's people are satisfied with her praise and the excitement of the convention, this could work out. And I had another thought. For those worried about McCain commercials showing Hillary attacking Obama, what about Obama commercials showing McCain PRAISING Hillary as he did when he was trying to court her supporters. We could probably find enough video of him praising Obama to do a whole string of adds with McCain complementing the entire ticket.
Of course I have also been hearing rumors that Obama had selected Feingold from jump street, and the rest has been a ruse -- from day one. That may be more of a risky pick than we realize. 98 out of 100 on the liberal scale and divorced twice isn't the typical perscription for a Democratic veep. But this hasn't been a typical election cycle. Of course Bayh, Kaine, and Beiden are all still out there looming. The suspense is killing me!
How about this lineup...
As the media continues to predict that Hillary as VP is as good as dead, I think we need to take a closer look. Many who know Obama say he loves to be in control and wants this VP thing to be as secret as possible. He wants us to know nothing until the day HE announces it. So Kaine, Bayh, Beiden -- not so big secrets. There's been more leaks about them then I can count. I think we're being set up for a surprise. Why? Picking Hillary without all this veepstakes circus insanity would look like she forced him into it. Instead, we've been shown that this was a painstaking process done Obama's way to find the person HE, and only he, wants. So, if he comes back to Hillary in the end, it was his decision -- not pressure from her and her supporters. Let's look at the evidence.
One blogger that I read, who claimed to have worked with and around Obama in the past, said she thought Barack was setting us up for a surprise. The only way, according to her, that Obama could keep this whole thing secret from the press would be to lead them astray as much as possible, then drop the bombshell, on his terms. Now, his staff has stated it will not be a surprise. But, with all the speculation about Hillary from "day one", that may be a smart-ass way to say -- no surprise, of course it's Hillary.
Surely, most will disagree, and even be angry at the thought, but I'm just speculating and laying out some evidence. I've done that before incorrectly, though, so why listen to me? Don't. I'm just saying. Either Obama has done a terrible job planning, and his campaign has orchastrated a veep rollout and convention that is going to really piss off the Hillary people, or he's picking her. Keep in mind, the polls show that Barack's slim (and getting slimmer) lead jumps to a 9 or 10 point lead with Hillary on the ticket, fueled by 87% support from Democrats as opposed to 79% by himself. So, as much as you all may say picking Hillary would upset his "base", the stats say something else. Bayh may bring Indiana and Michigan; Kaine may bring Virginia and even North Carolina, but Hillary brings Florida, Ohio, clinches Pennsyvania, and Arkansas -- a total of 74 electoral votes!
