Early Voting for the entire state of Florida has just been extended.
Every Early Vote location in Florida will now be every day from 7am-7pm up through November 2.
Please pass along this great news to everyone you know who will be voting in Florida. Click here to find your nearest early vote location.
Here's the release:
GOVERNOR CRIST EXTENDS EARLY VOTING HOURS ~~ ~Ensures maximum number of Floridians can exercise right to vote~ ~~October 28, 2008Contact:GOVERNOR'S PRESS OFFICE(850) 488-5394TALLAHASSEE - Governor Charlie Crist today signed Executive Order 08-217, extending the hours for early voting during the current General Election. Effective immediately, early voting sites will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., through Friday, October 31, 2008, and for a total of 12 hours between 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 1, and 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 2, 2008. "I have spoken with the Secretary of State and members of the Florida Legislature and have concluded that it is always the right thing to do to give voters every opportunity to cast a ballot," Governor Crist said. "I have a responsibility to the voters of our state to ensure that the maximum number of citizens can participate in the electoral process, and that every person can exercise the right to vote." Prior to the 2008 General Election, Florida has seen historic numbers of Floridians registering to vote for the first time. In addition, record numbers of voters have chosen to cast a ballot during early voting. Early voting began on October 20 and runs through November 2. Current Florida law allows for early voting to be conducted eight hours per day on each weekday, and for a total of eight hours during both weekends during the early voting period. Floridians can contact their county's Supervisor of Elections for dates, times and locations of early voting. Florida voters can also request absentee ballots to be mailed to them until October 29. Please see the attached Executive Order 08-217. STATE OF FLORIDA OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 08-217 WHEREAS, early voting is scheduled to end November 2, 2008; and WHEREAS, early voting turnout has already reached record levels and is forecast to continue with record turnout. There are only 267 early voting sites throughout the state and long lines have formed at many of the early voting sites; and WHEREAS, a historic number of Floridians have registered to vote for the first time in this election; and WHEREAS, new voting equipment is being used in 15 Florida counties; WHEREAS, as a result of this unique combination of circumstances resulting from the historic voter turnout in this election, there is a possibility that election officials will be unable to conduct an orderly election, and thus residents in our state could be deprived of a meaningful opportunity to vote; andWHEREAS, because of the existing and continuing possibility of an emergency occurring before or during the regularly scheduled election, and in order to ensure maximum citizen participation in the electoral process, and provide a safe and orderly procedure for persons seeking to exercise their right to vote;NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHARLIE CRIST, as Governor of Florida, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Article IV, Section 1(a) of the Florida Constitution, by the Florida Elections Emergency Act, and by all other applicable laws, issue the following Executive Order, to take immediate effect:I hereby declare that, based on the above-described conditions, a state of emergency exists. It is hereby found and declared to be necessary to extend the voting hours during early voting. Accordingly, I order the Supervisors of Elections to open early voting sites from 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. through October 31, 2008 and open early voting sites for a total of twelve (12) hours between 7 a.m. November 1, 2008 and 7 p.m. November 2, 2008.IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Florida to be affixed, at Tallahassee, the Capitol, this 28th day of October, 2008. GOVERNORATTEST:SECRETARY OF STATE
GOVERNOR CRIST EXTENDS EARLY VOTING HOURS
~~ ~Ensures maximum number of Floridians can exercise right to vote~ ~~
October 28, 2008
Contact:
GOVERNOR'S PRESS OFFICE(850) 488-5394
TALLAHASSEE - Governor Charlie Crist today signed Executive Order 08-217, extending the hours for early voting during the current General Election. Effective immediately, early voting sites will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., through Friday, October 31, 2008, and for a total of 12 hours between 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 1, and 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 2, 2008.
"I have spoken with the Secretary of State and members of the Florida Legislature and have concluded that it is always the right thing to do to give voters every opportunity to cast a ballot," Governor Crist said. "I have a responsibility to the voters of our state to ensure that the maximum number of citizens can participate in the electoral process, and that every person can exercise the right to vote."
Prior to the 2008 General Election, Florida has seen historic numbers of Floridians registering to vote for the first time. In addition, record numbers of voters have chosen to cast a ballot during early voting.
Early voting began on October 20 and runs through November 2. Current Florida law allows for early voting to be conducted eight hours per day on each weekday, and for a total of eight hours during both weekends during the early voting period. Floridians can contact their county's Supervisor of Elections for dates, times and locations of early voting.
Florida voters can also request absentee ballots to be mailed to them until October 29.
Please see the attached Executive Order 08-217.
STATE OF FLORIDA
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 08-217
WHEREAS, early voting is scheduled to end November 2, 2008; and
WHEREAS, early voting turnout has already reached record levels and is forecast to continue with record turnout. There are only 267 early voting sites throughout the state and long lines have formed at many of the early voting sites; and
WHEREAS, a historic number of Floridians have registered to vote for the first time in this election; and
WHEREAS, new voting equipment is being used in 15 Florida counties;
WHEREAS, as a result of this unique combination of circumstances resulting from the historic voter turnout in this election, there is a possibility that election officials will be unable to conduct an orderly election, and thus residents in our state could be deprived of a meaningful opportunity to vote; and
WHEREAS, because of the existing and continuing possibility of an emergency occurring before or during the regularly scheduled election, and in order to ensure maximum citizen participation in the electoral process, and provide a safe and orderly procedure for persons seeking to exercise their right to vote;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHARLIE CRIST, as Governor of Florida, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Article IV, Section 1(a) of the Florida Constitution, by the Florida Elections Emergency Act, and by all other applicable laws, issue the following Executive Order, to take immediate effect:
I hereby declare that, based on the above-described conditions, a state of emergency exists. It is hereby found and declared to be necessary to extend the voting hours during early voting. Accordingly, I order the Supervisors of Elections to open early voting sites from 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. through October 31, 2008 and open early voting sites for a total of twelve (12) hours between 7 a.m. November 1, 2008 and 7 p.m. November 2, 2008.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Florida to be affixed, at Tallahassee, the Capitol, this 28th day of October, 2008.
GOVERNOR
ATTEST:
SECRETARY OF STATE
As a generation, college students should be proud of the influence we are wielding in this year's election. Never in recent history has a candidate energized college campuses across this nation as much as Barack Obama. Students are organizing, following grass-roots tactics, and registering each other in record numbers.
In Tallahassee, Florida- Seminole Students for Obama at the Florida State University has created an unprecented movement on campus. In four weeks, Seminole Students for Obama has registered over 3,000 fellow students on campus to vote. But not only are they educating their friends on their civic duty of voting, they're letting them know just how important their vote is right now. At a meeting we discussed how our campus and individual effort could impact the national election. Florida is a swing state that normally ends in a photo finish, but imagine the influence of tens of thousands of newly registered students across all of the Florida university campuses.
It's important for students everywhere, not only in Florida, to continue their voter registration efforts until the October 6th deadline. We are the voice that could determine this election, and we need to educate everyone of the power they have as a voter this Novemeber. Never before has an election meant so much to us as a student, for the direction of our future is at stake.
To learn more about Students for Barack Obama visit: students.barackobama.com
To become involved on the FSU campus: FACEBOOK Seminole Students for Obama
Ed Stierli
Seminole Students for Obama
"Young women are the least likely to be registered and the least likely to vote."
Change that: Time to GET OUT HER VOTE!
http://www.feministcampus.org/vote/default.asp
The Feminist Majority Foundation's massive Get Out HER Vote Campaign (GOHV) is the nation's only student voter education and registration initiative aimed at significantly increasing registration and voting by young women. GOHV legally targets young women and students of color because they are traditionally underrepresented Here's your chance to get involved!
The Feminist Majority Foundation has compiled an action Tool Kit and this website to help you launch a successful Get Out Her Vote (GOHV) campaign on your campus. With these materials on-hand, your FMLA/affiliate is empowered to get out the feminist vote. Remember – your national campus organizers are available and more than willing to help!
Feel free to contact us with any questions! --
The Campus Team can also be reached via email at campusteam@feminist.org.
Call the
There was a message circulating some of our groups in Florida yesterday that spread incorrect information conerning the the ID needed to vote. We're going to clarify below.
A message from the Florida Campaign for Change chief election lawyer:
I am the Obama-Biden campaign’s chief election lawyer in Florida, and I have received the 'no match no vote' message from several sources. This message is categorically false. Our reading of the clear statutory language does NOT require that the address on the driver’s license (or other ID) that the voter presents at the polls match the voter’s address in the precinct register. Furthermore, this press release from the Florida Secretary of State definitively ccnfirms:http://www.dos.state.fl.us/news/communications/pressRelease/pressRelease.cfm?id=330 See the last bullet:· I.D. required and checked at the polls is used solely to confirm the voter’s identity. Not to verify the voter’s ID number or address. The photograph on the ID is compared to the person standing before the poll worker and the signature on the ID is compared to the signature on record.
I am the Obama-Biden campaign’s chief election lawyer in Florida, and I have received the 'no match no vote' message from several sources. This message is categorically false.
Our reading of the clear statutory language does NOT require that the address on the driver’s license (or other ID) that the voter presents at the polls match the voter’s address in the precinct register. Furthermore, this press release from the Florida Secretary of State definitively ccnfirms:http://www.dos.state.fl.us/news/communications/pressRelease/pressRelease.cfm?id=330
See the last bullet:
· I.D. required and checked at the polls is used solely to confirm the voter’s identity. Not to verify the voter’s ID number or address. The photograph on the ID is compared to the person standing before the poll worker and the signature on the ID is compared to the signature on record.
Please feel free to email florida@barackobama.com with any questions or concerns.
Dear Julia,Congratulations! Your voice was heard.I just received word that the Iran Unity Rally organizers have asked Sarah Palin not to speak on Monday. This is the right decision. A unity rally to express communal solidarity is no place for partisan politics. And to give such prominence to Sarah Palin alone would have spoken neither to, nor for, the American Jewish community.This is a victory not just for you and for the 20,188 others who signed J Street's petition. It's a victory for the broader community. And we're pleased the rally's organizers came to their senses so quickly. Victories like these don't come easily - or often. But when they do, we should savor them, at least briefly.We'll be back at it tomorrow, because our next task is making sure that the messages at the rally reflect the view of a majority of Americans - Jewish and otherwise - that the best way to deal with Iran is through tough, smart diplomacy - not saber rattling and threats of force. Stay tuned. - Isaac ------------------Isaac LuriaOnline DirectorJ Street September 18, 2008 5:11 P.S. J Street's work depends on the support of people like you. Please consider making a gift to support us here.
I had a habit of being such a dedicated non-Republican that I'd write off a candidate simply due to his/her affiliation with the GOP. I'd do this without even researching the particular candidate, only knowing some details why I liked my guy, or gal. If someone would ask me why I didn't like the Republican in question, I would parrot a general stereotype that could probably apply to most right-wingers. However, a new roommate, she's politically moderate and planning on voting for McCain, and her tendency to talk politics inadvertently required me to do some research. I knew the typical one-liners wouldn't prove anything, except that I'm as ignorant as the people that vote for a candidate just because their parents do.
Although a candidate's website is an efficient way to get an overall idea about a candidate, I prefer going to www.votesmart.org and reviewing how actual votes were cast, rather than refer to an eloquent stump speech. I was shocked when I looked up McCain on the Project Vote Smart web page.
As a sergeant in the U.S. Army, I was quite interested in former P.O.W. McCain's voting on military issues. It turns out that he's not so pro-troops as he is pro-war. I've already deployed once to Iraq, back in 2004, and I am scheduled for a mobilization next year to Baghdad, so I am quite concerned about my rights and why someone is sending me halfway around the world in danger's way. There are ways to effectively use the military, and I think Bush failed us all in that matter. I'd prefer for my Commander in Chief to be someone who'd follow the idea that Bill Clinton stated during this year's DNC: "People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than by the example of our power."
The first time I served overseas my vehicle wasn't even up-armored, and instead the doors consisted of scrap metal. I was a week or so from convoying to Tikrit, Iraq from Kuwait when Rumsfeld visited the base I was at and said, "You go to war with the army you have—not the army you might want...". Now I'm rather wary of a candidate that alleges to be a real friend to those in uniform.
On September 9, 2007, McCain voted no on "S Amdt 2909 to S Amdt 2011 to HR 1585: To specify minimum periods between deployment of units and members of the Armed Forces deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom." By voting no, McCain denied military members the time needed to recuperate after operations in the Middle East. With PTSD levels up 50% since 2006 and 2007, about 40,000 members suffer from PTSD according to the Pentagon, why deny troops what is essential? There are too many soldiers who serve three tours almost back to back, with only a few weeks or months in between.
In addition to this piece of legislation, McCain was a no show for the vote on May 26, 2008 for "HR 2642: Making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, and for other purposes." This bill gives veterans a modest increase in their GI Bill, and also gives more aid to Veteran's Affairs, which is not at all adequately funded. I understand that McCain is busy running for president, but as a politician he is supposed to act as a public servant, which requires serving, even when it's not convenient. How does a man who has gone through so much in the service, who consistently touts his experiences in Vietnam, not empathize enough with military members to show up and vote for this important bill?
Barack Obama was present for both of the aforementioned votes. We got two yeses from him. Thank you sir.
It's official, Barack sent out the email this morning, did you get it?
Friend --I have some important news that I want to make official.I've chosen Joe Biden to be my running mate. Joe and I will appear for the first time as running mates this afternoon in Springfield, Illinois -- the same place this campaign began more than 19 months ago.I'm excited about hitting the campaign trail with Joe, but the two of us can't do this alone. We need your help to keep building this movement for change.Please let Joe know that you're glad he's part of our team. Share your personal welcome note and we'll make sure he gets it:Welcome Joe Thanks for your support,Barack
I have some important news that I want to make official.
I've chosen Joe Biden to be my running mate.
Joe and I will appear for the first time as running mates this afternoon in Springfield, Illinois -- the same place this campaign began more than 19 months ago.
I'm excited about hitting the campaign trail with Joe, but the two of us can't do this alone. We need your help to keep building this movement for change.
Please let Joe know that you're glad he's part of our team. Share your personal welcome note and we'll make sure he gets it:
Welcome Joe
Thanks for your support,
Barack
Send Joe a note! Welcome Joe!
Make sure to turn on your TV at 3:00 p.m. to join Obama and Biden in Springfield, Illinois. Or, watch online at http://www.BarackObama.com.
How Cuba will determine the 2008 Election.
Whether you are pro-Cuba or anti-Cuba, the debate may continue for centuries. One thing is certain. The nearly fifty year old, U.S. Embargo on Cuba has not worked, does not work and will not work. In stating so, we are not acknowledging, supporting or condoning Cuba’s current government.
We are saying it’s time for some of America’s voters, politicians and media to evolve with Cuba, perhaps more than any other issue. It could be said; how politicians act and vote towards the five decade old failed U.S. policies with Cuba is a clear reflection on their character.
We are saying that continuing the anti Cuba embargo policies is a clear reflection of a persons character. Whether running for President of the United States, Senate, Congress or any government leadership position; a person should demonstrated the ability to change course, try new directions and see different points of view. Especially if the policy they supported has failed for fifty years.
The anti-Cuba politicians, lobby and community is a small percentage of all populations, including the Cuban population itself. Yet the anti-Cuba movement has controlled the presidency of the United States and both political houses; including this elections Republican candidate John McCain for nearly fifty years. John McCain is anti-Cuba, while Barack Obama is pro-Cuba.
Why would any politician, business person and human continue enforcing on themselves, and worse others; a failed Cuba policy that the majority of people in America, the world and mostly the island of Cuba itself do not want? See the Election 08 FREE CUBA FILM SERIES and you will find out.
Then it’s up to you to decide when you cast your vote on “Election Moment”, if you are voting for character.
Election moment is the truest moment in any election when you, the voter stand there in the privacy of your own mind right before you vote. Only you will know if you cast a vote for character, and only you can determine the issues that reflect a person’s character. Cuba is one of those clear character issues.
Election 08 FREE CUBA FILM SERIES, is committed to bring the real Cuba to America. We’ve selected three diverse films that provide audiences with a modern day love story set in Havana, Cuba. A film that gives you a glimpse into the future with the childhood version of The Buena Vista Club, and lastly, an impacting documentary that brings to life, the hidden true history of Cuban terrorism, the U.S. Politicians directly related to Fidel Castro who continued to master mind the anti Cuba movement in the U.S. and the political families who continue to enforce their historically failed policies against Cuba on the world through violence, economics and political warfare.
Will you vote for a person who is pro-Cuba and promises to create a powerful future for America uniting the world.
Or will you vote for a person who is anti-Cuba and promises to bend history to make sure America stays the current course isolating the world.
Only you will know on your “Election Moment.”
Luis Moro
www.EveryThingCuba.com
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 8/6/2008) – A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group said today that the resignation of a recently-appointed Muslim community liaison for Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign is symptomatic of a nationwide effort by Islamophobes who seek to deny Muslims access to the political process.
The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said it is “ironic” that Chicago attorney Mazen Asbahi resigned following Internet attacks on his ties to the mainstream Muslim community, an attribute that would seem to be a requirement for his position.
SEE: Obama Muslim Coordinator Resigns (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/06/AR2008080601081.html
“Muslim-bashers play a ‘six degrees of separation’ game of guilt by association with any Muslim who dares to engage in positive social or political activism,” said Ahmed Rehab, executive director of CAIR’s Chicago chapter. “As Americans, we should not allow intolerant and agenda-driven extremists to succeed in their tactics of exclusion based on smears and mischaracterizations of leaders or institutions at the forefront of civic engagement.”
www.UrbanFamilyEntertainment.com
NBC's handling of their recent poll suggests how numbers can be manipulated or used for or against a candidate. Some numbers from the poll were headlined and highlighted, others were ignored. Some of these problems with reporting may be unintentional and a result of time constraints. But we need we need to be aware and willing to respond to media outlets that convey a distorted impression of Barack or the current state of the race. I have copied, below, the email I sent to Meet the Press and Chuck Todd, with whom I have had frequent correspondence, regarding this matter...
I am a grassroots Obama volunteer from Kingstree, South Carolina.
If you utilize the recent NBC/WSJ poll results on Meet the Press, I hope you and Chuck Todd (if he is on) will have time to present a balanced view of the data with respect to Obama and McCain.
In the NBC reporting of this poll that I have seen, some significant positives for Obama in the poll have not been mentioned.
For example, in this poll a majority of voters perceived Obama as more...
Easygoing and likeable, offering hope and optimism, being compassionate enough to understand the people, and improving America's standing in the world
As Chuck Todd has reported, if Obama were pitted against McCain today, Obama would receive 47% of the vote, McCain would receive 41% of the vote. But I have not heard it mentioned that if Bob Barr and Ralph Nader were thrown into the mix, Obama would garner 48% of the vote, while McCain would garner 35. So the third party candidates could make a huge difference, at least in terms of the popular vote.
44% of Obama voters are excited about him, while only 14% of McCain voters are excited. I have also not heard this mentioned in broadcasts. This finding could be significant in terms of election-day turnout.
Chuck Todd did say on Nightly News that voters surveyed consider Obama the more mainstream candidate, though I could not find that data in the poll, posted on RealClear.
Finally, voters, by a 60-30 margin, said they favor a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq, in effect agreeing with Obama's position.
There are positives for McCain in the poll, too, of course. For example, a majority saw McCain as having stronger leadership qualities, being consistent and standing up for his beliefs, being more honest and straightforward (by a narrow margin), and being a good commander in chief. And, as has been widely reported by NBC, a majority of voters surveyed consider Obama to be the riskier choice.
I just ask, if this poll is cited, that a balanced view of the findings be given. Also, it should be noted that polling is only a snapshot. For example, the full impact of Obama’s trip overseas has not been yet been seen.
Chuck Todd does an excellent job of crunching the numbers, but I hope that he is given time and takes the opportunity to present a balanced picture, though I understand that time is a strong limiting factor in the presentation of network news.
Thank you,
Patrick Frank
Brilliant, inspiring...How he dealt with the subsequent Brian Williams interview...Cool, intelligent, responsive...Don't forget that Obama will be interviewed for a full hour on NBC's Meet the Press Sunday...
patrickgfrank@yahoo.com
For a Clean Presidential Campaign (about 1500 words)
By Patrick Frank
Box 1283
Kingstree , SC 29556
(843) 372-8851
(Freelance, revised proposed submission to USA Today)
I have confidence in the ability of my candidate, Barack Obama, to engage in respectful debate regarding the major public-policy concerns of the next president. I think that John McCain can do the same. Both must resist pressure from any attack-oriented partisans who adhere to an ends-justify-the-means philosophy.
*Resolution of the situation in Iraq , in a way that will not endanger our military or lead to a situation of genocide. The need to improve our treatment of returning vets, carefully attending to symptoms of PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury, while providing educational and other benefits.
*The importance of facilitating a peace process that will lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state side-by-side with a secure Israel , freed from the scourge of terrorist attack.
*Movement toward a spirit of bipartisanship in Washington , D.C. , combined with willingness of both Republicans and Democrats to engage in constructive dialogue leading to compromise on a variety of issues.
*Alleviation of the debt crisis in this country—a crisis of confidence shared by many Americans who have been victimized by the predatory lending practices of a number of financial institutions, as well as payday loan and title loan sharks. The president must affirm that we—ordinary citizens—are responsible for saying no to the blizzard of credit card offers that come in the mail.
*The president will need to take a strong stand regarding the need to end deficit spending and significantly reduce the national debt.
*Healing of wounds caused by the racialization of the Democratic primary process, spurred on by the extreme right and some opportunistic elements of the national media.
*Establishment of an environmental policy that will address the ominously increasing signs of global warming. The new president must institute an Apollo-style energy program that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil, while developing clean alternatives, and creating clean-energy job opportunities.
*Reform of the health care system, to ensure that all Americans have access to good, affordable health care. The “preexisting conditions” loophole should be closed. Preventive care should be encouraged and covered; in the long run this save money, of course.
I urge the candidates not only illuminate their political differences, but also to acknowledge areas of agreement. I hope that both will rebuke those who seek to demonize the political opposition.
We have already seen attempts to condemn both candidates through tactics of character assassination and guilt by association. I do not want to regurgitate these unfounded or irrelevant rumors and attempts to smear the candidates’ reputations. However, I am happy to note that in several instances each candidate has defended his opponent in the race from these scurrilous tactics.
There are a few guidelines when we evaluate the character of a candidate:
*We should focus on the candidates' political performance and behavior in the present and recent past, not on incidents or judgments that were made decades ago. We should recognize that a candidate experiences growth and change over time, as we all do.
*We should evaluate a candidate globally, not blowing any single vote or indiscretion out of proportion. Both candidates have affirmed at various times that they are not perfect people running a perfect campaign.
*We should recognize that a candidate has a right to change his or her mind. Do we really want to see the inflexibility of the present administration repeated?
*We should recognize that we are subject to a broadcast (and, in some respects, print) media that all to often has promoted sensationalism and rumor-mongering, to drive up ratings. Unscrupulous political advocates have also used the internet to hype exaggerated reports, unconfirmed stories and outright lies. The result is that core issues facing this country are subjected to superficial analysis, or ignored.
We all have a responsibility to quell hatred in this country—including our political leaders and members of the media. We, further, have a responsibility to face down the cynics who assert that it is impossible for politicians to engage in “straight talk,” a phrase that both Obama and McCain have used in various permutations, frequently.
I call on Americans of good will—liberals, conservatives and moderates—to raise their voices in protest if this presidential contest should degenerate into a war of words characterized by character assassination or guilt by association, as opposed to serious discussion of the major issues facing our country. Surrogates and media figures who spread and focus on dirt should be strongly confronted.
I call on responsible media figures (within the cable news venue, or otherwise) to strive for balanced, objective, issue-oriented reporting. Yes, character must be assessed, but it should be acknowledged that no one is perfect; we are all subject to frailties, including members of the media. With regard to assessment of political judgment, that is also fair game, but again no one is expected to bat a thousand. Positives should be noted, as well as negatives. Perhaps most importantly, cynicism should be avoided. Politicians are not always acting out of self-interest; they are like us, subject to mixed, internal motivating factors. This can be pointed out to the public. We do, of course, seek candidates who are more concerned—on balance—with serving the public interest than feathering their nests and stroking their own egos.
I hope that broadcast journalists will resist manipulation by anyone in the political arena. Of course, the campaigns will seek to advance their respective causes by gaining media exposure. But above all, every effort should be made to balance that exposure. I would strive to keep manipulative figures at arm’s length. It’s okay to be friendly, not okay to be politically conspiratorial.
I would also would like to see less of the so-called pundits or talking heads, especially the ones who are bombastic. Too often, advocacy is permitted to shape analysis, in a disingenuous way. Advocacy, when it is aired, should be clearly labeled as such. Analysis is fine, as long as it does not mask advocacy.
In general, I would like for media figures to get out of the way, and let the candidates and their closest advisers speak for themselves. Broadcast journalists have an important role to play, but they are not running for office. At least, looked at it from the outside, it seems that have been too many overblown egos on display. There are, of course, exceptions, individuals who act more like professionals, less like performers, when they get in front of the camera.
With respect to polling, I have several suggestions for the media:
*Look at a variety of polls, over time, and avoid placing too much emphasis on the most recent finding. The RealClear site does an excellent job of presenting the broad picture, with respect to polling.
*Point out to the public the limitations and constraints of polling, as well as the potential volatility of poll numbers. In general, avoid putting poll numbers at the top of the list of subjects to talk about.
*Acknowledge that the presentation of polling data can serve as fodder for the campaigns and political spin. I am thankful that my candidate, Obama, has stated repeatedly that does not like to tout poll numbers; nor does he become overly disturbed when something dips down. I think this is partly because he has confidence in his ability to turn things around. (By saying this, I am not implying that McCain feels any differently)
*Please, do not obsess over findings related to ethnicity. Realize that there are elements in this country that want to maintain our racial divide. One way they can do that is by making sure you headline any poll numbers that seem to pit blacks against whites, in particular. America is changing, demographically and attitudinally. Viewed from the perspective of fifty years, we have certainly come a long way, in terms of alleviating racism. The candidacy of Barack Obama is a testament to that fact.
Bio: I am a grassroots volunteer for Barack Obama, from Kingstree , South Carolina . Politically, I see myself as liberal but more recently leaning to the center. In my “other life,” I am a published poet-essayist, Master’s level teacher-counselor and advocate for the poor, married with an adult son and adult stepchildren.
My poetry and essays have been published in about fifty periodicals, and my work has been anthologized three times. I grew up and was educated in Florida . I have engaged in civil rights work and have served as a VISTA , AmeriCorps and American Friends Service Committee volunteer. I have advocated for the ending of detainee abuse and closing of Guantanamo , most recently on behalf of Amnesty International.
My father is the late Pat Frank, noted journalist, war correspondent and author of the best-selling novel, Alas, Babylon . He worked in the John F. Kennedy campaign and I believe wrote a speech for him on the Cuban crisis.
Note: The views expressed in this oped are my own, and not intended to represent the views of Senator Obama or the campaign.
"In giving you are throwing a bridge across the chasm of your solitude."
Antoine De Saint-Exupery
Folks have become increasingly isolated from one another in our culture. One way to break through to the other side of the chasm is to become involved in this campaign--the most important election since 1960. I feel sure that by the end of this campaign, I will have made some lifelong friends, friends who share core values--love of freedom, concern for the poor and oppressed, and a yearning for peace, as well as a desire to live in harmony with our environment.
Got a call from a lady in a neighboring county, asking me to call regarding the campaign...One person, one call, but each contact, each person is important. No one should be ignored. Each small town is important. That was made evident when Barack came to my small town--I believe less than 10,000 souls, and spoke in our high school gym.
Too often, in our society, people ignore the needs of others. Obama message is that we need to do the opposite--pay more attention to the needs of others.
I have been a counselor 30 years...My take on Obama is that he has his ego under control and has real empathy skills that will serve him well as President of the United States.
(843-372-8851
Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.Barack Obama
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/16/AR2008041602899.html
No Peace Without Hamas
By Mahmoud al-ZaharThursday, April 17, 2008; A23
GAZA -- President Jimmy Carter's sensible plan to visit the Hamas leadership this week brings honesty and pragmatism to the Middle East while underscoring the fact that American policy has reached its dead end. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice acts as if a few alterations here and there would make the hideous straitjacket of apartheid fit better. While Rice persuades Israeli occupation forces to cut a few dozen meaningless roadblocks from among the more than 500 West Bank control points, these forces simultaneously choke off fuel supplies to Gaza; blockade its 1.5 million people; approve illegal housing projects on West Bank land; and attack Gaza City with F-16s, killing men, women and children. Sadly, this is "business as usual" for the Palestinians.
Last week's attack on the Nahal Oz fuel depot should not surprise critics in the West. Palestinians are fighting a total war waged on us by a nation that mobilizes against our people with every means at its disposal -- from its high-tech military to its economic stranglehold, from its falsified history to its judiciary that "legalizes" the infrastructure of apartheid. Resistance remains our only option. Sixty-five years ago, the courageous Jews of the Warsaw ghetto rose in defense of their people. We Gazans, living in the world's largest open-air prison, can do no less.
The U.S.-Israeli alliance has sought to negate the results of the January 2006 elections, when the Palestinian people handed our party a mandate to rule. Hundreds of independent monitors, Carter among them, declared this the fairest election ever held in the Arab Middle East. Yet efforts to subvert our democratic experience include the American coup d'etat that created the new sectarian paradigm with Fatah and the continuing warfare against and enforced isolation of Gazans.
Now, finally, we have the welcome tonic of Carter saying what any independent, uncorrupted thinker should conclude: that no "peace plan," "road map" or "legacy" can succeed unless we are sitting at the negotiating table and without any preconditions.
Israel's escalation of violence since the staged Annapolis "peace conference" in November has been consistent with its policy of illegal, often deadly collective punishment -- in violation of international conventions. Israeli military strikes on Gaza have killed hundreds of Palestinians since then with unwavering White House approval; in 2007 alone the ratio of Palestinians to Israelis killed was 40 to 1, up from 4 to 1 during the period from 2000 to 2005.
Only three months ago I buried my son Hussam, who studied finance at college and wanted to be an accountant; he was killed by an Israeli airstrike. In 2003, I buried Khaled -- my first-born -- after an Israeli F-16 targeting me wounded my daughter and my wife and flattened the apartment building where we lived, injuring and killing many of our neighbors. Last year, my son-in-law was killed.
Hussam was only 21, but like most young men in Gaza he had grown up fast out of necessity. When I was his age, I wanted to be a surgeon; in the 1960s, we were already refugees, but there was no humiliating blockade then. But now, after decades of imprisonment, killing, statelessness and impoverishment, we ask: What peace can there be if there is no dignity first? And where does dignity come from if not from justice?
Our movement fights on because we cannot allow the foundational crime at the core of the Jewish state -- the violent expulsion from our lands and villages that made us refugees -- to slip out of world consciousness, forgotten or negotiated away. Judaism -- which gave so much to human culture in the contributions of its ancient lawgivers and modern proponents of tikkun olam -- has corrupted itself in the detour into Zionism, nationalism and apartheid.
A "peace process" with Palestinians cannot take even its first tiny step until Israel first withdraws to the borders of 1967; dismantles all settlements; removes all soldiers from Gaza and the West Bank; repudiates its illegal annexation of Jerusalem; releases all prisoners; and ends its blockade of our international borders, our coastline and our airspace permanently. This would provide the starting point for just negotiations and would lay the groundwork for the return of millions of refugees. Given what we have lost, it is the only basis by which we can start to be whole again.
I am eternally proud of my sons and miss them every day. I think of them as fathers everywhere, even in Israel, think of their sons -- as innocent boys, as curious students, as young men with limitless potential -- not as "gunmen" or "militants." But better that they were defenders of their people than parties to their ultimate dispossession; better that they were active in the Palestinian struggle for survival than passive witnesses to our subjugation.
History teaches us that everything is in flux. Our fight to redress the material crimes of 1948 is scarcely begun, and adversity has taught us patience. As for the Israeli state and its Spartan culture of permanent war, it is all too vulnerable to time, fatigue and demographics: In the end, it is always a question of our children and those who come after us.
Mahmoud al-Zahar, a surgeon, is a founder of Hamas. He is foreign minister in the government of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, which was elected in January 2006.
www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org
Former President Jimmy Carter, predictably, is being denounced for meeting with the exiled leader of Hamas in Syria on Friday.
Carter's critics are wrong. Talking to Hamas, which won the January 2006 Palestinian legislative elections, is a necessary part of creating peace. As Carter himself said, "There's no doubt in anyone's mind that, if Israel is ever going to find peace with justice concerning the relationship with their next-door neighbors, that Hamas will have to be included in the process."
Please sign our petition -- co-sponsored by A Just Foreign Policy -- to Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John McCain asking them to support former President Carter and support talks with Hamas:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/301/t/1849/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=1175
Jimmy Carter knows that, according to Haaretz, 64% of Israelis have said they want their government to talk with Hamas about a cease-fire.[A] He knows that after Hamas won the January 2006 elections, it was willing to declare a ceasefire and allow President Abbas to negotiate with Israel on behalf of all Palestinians.[B]
Jimmy Carter knows that the blockade of Gaza being carried out by Israel, the U.S., and Egypt has actually strengthened Hamas in Gaza,[C] as 90 percent of Gaza's factories have closed and many former employees are now working for Hamas.
Jimmy Carter knows that Efraim Halevy, former head of Israel's Mossad, has called for Israel to negotiate with Hamas.[D] He knows that before the Annapolis conference, a bipartisan group of U.S. foreign-policy experts, including former national security advisers Zbigniew Brzezinski and Brent Scowcroft, sent a letter to President Bush and Secretary Rice saying that "genuine dialogue" with Hamas is "far preferable to its isolation."[E]
Indeed, he knows that the U.S. has encouraged Egypt to talk to Hamas about negotiating a cease-fire.[F] How can it be a scandal for Jimmy Carter to talk to Hamas, but not for Egypt to talk to Hamas at U.S. direction?
If the United States truly wants a settlement between Israel and the Palestinians - as opposed to just pretending that it wants one - it must deal with Hamas.
Please sign the petition now.
Sincerely,
Sydney, Cecilie, Rachel, Rebecca, and JeanJewish Voice for Peace
References:
[A]. "Poll: Most Israelis back direct talks with Hamas on Shalit," Yossi Verter, Haaretz, February 27, 2008
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/958473.html
[B]. "Carter Defends Plan to Meet Hamas Despite Israel Criticism," Agence France Press, April 13, 2008
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/04/13/8260/
[C]. "Gaza's Unemployed Have Handouts or Hamas," Griff Witte, Washington Post, April 13, 2008
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/12/AR2008041201969.html
[D]. "Ex-Mossad chief wants Israel to talk to Hamas," Michel Hoebink, Radio Netherlands Worldwide, February 21, 2008
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/080221-israel-mossad
[E]. "Bipartisan Foreign Policy Leaders on Annapolis Conference," Daniel Levy, Prospects for Peace, October 10, 2007
http://www.prospectsforpeace.com/2007/10/bipartisan_foreign_policy_lead.html
[F]. "Brushoff for Carter Over Plans for Hamas Meeting," Griff Witte, Washington Post, April 15, 2008
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/14/AR2008041402654.html
