There is real hope for the new administration waiting in the wings.
The fresh promise that an Obama presidency offers our nation does bring solace to many.
The media has reported concerns about the prospects of recovery from the current crisis, when we must at the same time cope with a transition in government at the highest level and all that entails.
This is real.
I remember when Watergate forced Nixon to suddenly resign in 1974 - the concerns were salient in all quarters in those dark days. I think confusion about leadership can be a problem at times in this country. There was the debacle in the media from Alexander Haig's suggestion that he was "in control" after Reagan was hospitalized because of the assassination attempt.
We as a people are in this together, and we have an investment in working together to make our nation all the things we know it can be.
Keep the faith and work together, no matter what. Let's live with, and through, our hope.
HWO
Now is the time to begin the work helping our new president with this new administration. You can help - you only need to ask.
You only need to glance around to see that hearts and minds are changing in this great nation.
Words actually failed me as I am writing this post to my blog - quite a rare happening if you know me.
What can I say?
Well, I remember being in the local Democratic HQ of our town, standing there on that warm night in November with my fellow volunteers, listening intently to Barack's speech - truthfully it seemed too intense an experience at times - and I was reduced to a child-like state.
And for me the only practical thing at 11:55 PM on November 4th was to remain to be quiet and take it all in. I just stood there exchanging good vibes with those in the crowd - letting it be as it was and unfold as it should.
So there we were in Mansfield, Ohio near the public square and city park, looking at the TV monitors in those rooms at the Democratic headquarters, and I realized some of us older supporters (I.m 55) began to remember history. Right then at about midnight I think millions were seeing the outlines forming of a better America - a better society - seeing the better part of us.
We are seeing already what good might come, and we know that there is work to be done.
This is not a rhetorical question. Who owns our economic system - our economy?
If it is the US worker, then she/ he will take the day in the next three weeks or so. If it is the old-hat paradigm of banks/ bankers/ systems of market appreciation-depreciation which own our economy, then a crippling recession and hyperinflation-deflation scenario will rule, and 95 percent of us will suffer very bad consequences. If the old ways dominate we may truly see the return of Depression-era events.
Look at the history of the 1930’s – read the history – and see for yourself. It’s very sad.
But I am hopeful for a real change in our nation – but you, me, all of us – we need to act.
I’m 55, the child of parents that saw the gritty after-effects of the Great Depression; and I heard my parents tell in graphic terms about scenes of foreclosures; and heard them report what massive unemployment in actual fact means for families. I listened to my mother’s account of being forced to sell personal belongings, how there was a loss of family treasures because of economic need; and so I was made to understand how American families had to make the long march back from the brink. I have heard real people tell about what it means when folks suffer in this way; and what the practical consequences are for individuals when a nation suffers economic melt-down.
You don’t want to go there – believe me.
GM stock trading at a 1950’s level reveals the truth in having the tail-wag-the-dog schemata in place today. Under George Bush we have seen the strengths of this nation’s economy and industry gutted by an overweening concern for maintaining the false-promise of unbridled greed; and we have witnessed the consequences of having the current administration sitting on its haunches the last eight years. Today we have Billionaire tycoons and CEO’s riding along on their Golden Parachutes while they reign supreme on Wall Street. On television I see people in suits constantly applauding at the end of the day – they smile and clap every single time at the close of business on the NYSE – even when there is an almost 3000 point drop in less than two weeks.
When a woman making minimum wage sees her retirement savings nearly wiped-out in a fortnight, is that reason to smile? No way!
Some say the world economy cannot be seen with any level of competence or accuracy – it is talked about sometimes like a Sphinx or occult mystery that will take us inexorably to some hidden future.
No, no, no. We are not pawns in some unknown and unknowable future. This is not acceptable.
We can make our own future, our own history – right now.
Let’s make history, you and I, millions of us, by voting with our heart and minds for Barack Obama and Joe Biden. I voted already: the Obama-Biden team has my vote in the bank as it were.
Let’s not allow this time around for the GOP to take us down a road to perdition and perfidy using illusory practices and constant kowtowing to free-market ideology; but instead let the US worker and the People of the United States to make the White House a place for good people, smart choices, and honest-brokering; and no longer allow the highest office in our nation to remain a place of flippancy and lies-within-lies.
Vote for Barack Obama – it is in your hands – today.
You never know unless you ask.
A very wise man from Ohio gave me some of my all time favorite advice in life – it was his “you never know unless you ask” story. His story was all about dating girls – how guys worry about not being cute enough or smart enough for the girls to like them and want to date them. But he finally figured out – you could sit at home wondering about lots of things – or you could get out there and ask lots of girls for a date and eventually one would say yes. It was about how action trumps! No girl will ever go out with you if you don’t ask. Simple as that really. You have to ask to get what you want. And the worst that happens is they say no. But if they say YES! – Then you have a date and isn’t that the goal.
Well, we have a date – the date is Nov. 4th and we need the American public to make a date to vote for Barack Obama as our next president. What I need from each of you is for you to help me do the asking all across America in the last 4 weeks of this campaign. Here’s what I need your help with:
We need Registered Voters! Deadlines are approaching as early as tomorrow.
We need Votes – many states can vote early.
We need to Get Out Voters On Nov. 4th
We need more volunteers to help with all the above.
We need donations.
We need you to continue to speak to your friends, neighbors, and family.
And, we need you to ask your fellow American’s to do more in the following ways:
You never know if someone will volunteer for the campaign – unless you ask.
You never know if someone will donate to the campaign – unless you ask.
You never know if someone will travel to another state to help – unless you ask.
You never know if you friends are registered to vote – unless you ask,
You never know if your neighbors know about early voting – unless you ask.
You never know if they will vote for Obama – unless you ask.
1%, or 1 vote out of 100There have been 12 Presidential elections that were decided by less than a 1% margin; meaning if less than 1% of the voters in certain states had changed their mind to the other candidate the outcome of the entire election would have been different. More than half were decided by less than a 2% margin.
In 2004, 57,787 votes would have given us President Kerry.In 2000, 269 votes would have given us President GoreIn 1996, 575,515 votes would have given us President Dole.
From ABC News:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/scienceandsociety/2008/09/squeakers.html
=========="Squeakers"Ned PotterABC NewsSeptember 29, 2008How close have Presidential elections been? Closer, perhaps, than we ever guessed. Mike Sheppard, a grad student in statistics at Michigan State, has done a mathematical exercise that shows it.He ran a computer program to answer this question: "What is the smallest number of total votes that need to be switched from one candidate to another, and from which states, to affect the outcome of the election?"The answer: in some years, very, very few. Take a look at his analysis HERE. It shows the powerful interaction between the popular vote and the electoral college.[...]==========
Full article here:http://blogs.abcnews.com/scienceandsociety/2008/09/squeakers.html
Detailed analysis here, including colored maps:https://www.msu.edu/~sheppa28/elections.html-Mike Sheppard
How the circles of influence grow via grassroots campaigning
The campaign officials like to talk about sewing the seeds to grow the grassroots of the campaign –a great metaphor, but I actually think it is more fun than this farming metaphor proposes and takes less time than waiting for the seeds to germinate– I think it is a lot more like skipping stones on the water- or dropping a pebble into the pond and watching the ripples grow.
And it is amazing to see how quickly the ever widening ripples reaching out to spread from sea to shining sea. Each pebble into the water sends out a ripple that grows and hopefully touches another. Each pebble represents a volunteer who will help reach out to at least 10 more people. And that is how we grow a grassroots campaign all across America.
Just to show you how something as simple as this blog has grown the grassroots in just one week, here’s a list of what you’ve been inspired to get involved doing for this campaign – and for America! – THANK YOU!
Each day we encounter signals from others; just little messages in the air we snag from fragments of conversations we are necessarily connected with. In the United States almost every kind of conversation seems available for reading things into; and those words can often be used for ill by strangers hearing tidbits of what is said from a distance.
It's like a constant little game of figuring out what's going on: I heard that she/ he was not happy about xy, or she/ he became ecstatic when they heard xyz. In the political world, right now, this year more than ever, it is the unsaid but not unknown things that circulate around that do harm to the vital political process where we will elect a U.S. President.
Buckle-up, strap-in, get ready, and in every place, on every day, we must push-back the lies and half-truths about our candidate. Never give in, never surrender to the waves of pernicious words and outpouring of slander.
Senator Barack Obama is a good man, a great leader; and his shining light of honesty and hope can help us working within the campaign to continue to "do the right thing" - to remember to keep going out as honest folk trying to make progress every single moment - and so we encourage each other to go all the way until November 4th.
Then, after November 4th. we will have made a mighty, humane, progressive, socio-political movement that will give us what I think we really desire; access to that deep-seated yearning for human connections, open doors to an amazing diversity in our lives, and most of all, we will be well on the way to succeeding in finding paths of reconciliation in the oldest conflicts.
These are the best days of our lives.
HW
Grassroots means it is up to you!
Here are some ideas to inspire you to help in creative ways. If yard signs are in short supply – make your own.Have a painting signs party. OR…The BarackObama.com website even has downloads of Logos, signs, and posters to use: http://www.barackobama.com/downloads/
Here’s an eco-friendly way to share your support:http://steppingstonesforobama-barb.blogspot.com/ If it is buttons you need – button making parties are going on too all across the country – look on the MYBO site for an event near you: www.My.BarackObama.com Many schools and scout troops have the machines – all you need is the time.Here’s a link for some artwork on Registering to Vote for the next 2 weeks. REGButtons.pdf321K View as HTML Download
Special thanks to Chet Farley for helping with this artwork.
Lastly, here’s my latest idea: do you remember the days when trees all across America had big Yellow Ribbons tied around them? It was all about supporting our troops coming home from a different war in another era. They were everywhere – all across America!
What if we all tied big Purple Bows around our trees this time? – in support of Barack Obama?
Purple – because we no longer want to be Red versus Blue!
Purple – because we want to bring home another generation of our troops!
Purple – because it is my favorite color!
I will work on getting Tony Orlando to re-write the lyrics to the song too!
Now it is up to you to get creative and come up with your own idea of how to spread the word and show your support for this campaign.
Please write back with your ideas and I will happily spread the word.
But, everyone I know is already registered to vote!
I know we hope and pray everyone around us is registered to vote, but guess what the numbers say this can’t be so. The national statistics say that only 6 out of 10 women are registered to vote. So that leaves 4 out of 10 who need to register soon to be able to vote in this upcoming election.
Maybe they moved. Maybe they forgot that you have to both register and vote to stay on the registration rolls. If you haven’t voted in the last 5 years – you may not be able to vote this year—even if you were registered in the past.
So it is a simple thing to do in over the next few days – ask everyone you know if they are registered to vote. If they say yes – thank them and move on. If they say no, please help them get registered to vote.
Here’s the link we like to recommend:
http://www.voteforchange.com/
Remember – friends don’t let friends get to November 4th without being registered to vote!
Reach out and touch your neighborhood today!
The other day I asked you to reach out and touch the campaign, to get to know what resources are available on the website and how to find answers at www.BarackObama.com and create your own site on www.My.BarackObama.com or MyBO – which will help keep you in the info loop with the campaign as well as give you ways to get involved each day.
Today, I would like to share with you another tool to help you to get involved right in your own neighborhood:
Neighbor to Neighbor. This internet tool is easy to use and oriented towards get you to reach out to others in your local area.
http://my.barackobama.com/modules/votercontact/login_signup.php
Neighbor to Neighbor is a new campaign internet tool that allows you to put in your own address and obtain a list of local undecided voters for you to reach out and touch in your very own neighborhood. It will either give you a list of names and addresses for a walking around the block, door knocking, canvassing for the campaign locally or a list of people to call. These are people who are mostly UNDECIDED as of yet.
The information provided to you will also include talking points, or a script, and even some questions to get the ball rolling easier. It is always a good idea to read through all the info first – before you head out or pick up the phones. Sometimes there are flyers to print out as well if you are knocking on doors. Other times there are key questions to ask in your calls.
The key thing this does is make the political neighborly; and therefore, personal – in a very friendly and open way. It is about neighbors reaching out to neighbors about issues that affect them and their communities. It is about friends reaching out to friends, and it is about family reaching out to friends. .” This is not about badgering anyone – it is all to be done with kind persuasion as well as listening.
It is about you stepping forward and saying “Hey, I am your neighbor, here’s why I support Barack Obama, and I am hoping you will too! Now how can I address any issues or concerns you might have before you vote?”
There are hundreds of volunteers who want to work for Barack Obama this fall in the swing states, but a lot of these volunteers, students and recent college graduates like myself (Stanford 2008), don't have the resources to get where they are needed.
If you have 25,000 miles on any airline, you likely have enough miles to sponsor a verified volunteer's trip to work in a swing state! Registering new voters and talking to undecided voters face to face is the best way to fight all the smear campaigns and attack ads we are facing.
In the primaries one woman with a phone line raised two million miles for Obama! For the general election we can raise even more!
To get involved as a sponsor or volunteer please email alisa@travelforchange.org or just visit TravelforChange.org and please pass this on!
The title pretty much says it all. We have out of state volunteers coming in and need beds for them to sleep on. I have the space, but am short 6 beds for the duration of the campaign. If you can be of assistance please call me at 419-610-3311. This is a Mansfield location with a dormitory style set-up. I can arrange for pick up. I will make sure they are returned right after the campaign. Thank you in advance. --Ann-Marie
The questions are perennial ones.
Why does it matter, and what difference does it make if Barack Obama wins rather than McCain?
Our answers as supporters and faithful progressives can be posed as counter-questions, such as: how could it not matter, and why are you unaware of the importance of this election?
These 'answers' seem to suggest the message is not quite getting through (in Ohio anyway).
But I believe that is illusory; and that what we do does matter; and yes we can get the message out in time.
Today is the start of the rest of our lives - live the day - seize the time - garner inspiration from Barack - and make a difference.
Barack captured the Democratic presidential nomination last night and claimed victory in St. Paul,and will become the first African-American candidate to head a major-party ticket.
Barack, a forty-six year old first-term US Senator from Illinois, began his career as a community organizer in Chicago after graduating from Harvard Law School. He outpaced other contenders for the Democratic nomination with an emphasis on changing the political status quo in Washington and is well on his way at doing just that. Barack put the finishing touches on the race last night with his win in Montana which put him well over the top in delegates to secure the nomination.
Hillary Clinton on the other hand, who won the South Dakota primary --speaking to her supporters in New York City, there was no concession ....and no indication that her quest for the nomination is over stating that she wasn't making any decisions yet, not even congratulating Barack on his Historic win. "Only stating he ran a good race" "She's also still telling her supporters that she is the stronger candidate. To me that doesn't sound like she wants to bring the party together. It sounds like she 's poisoning the well to me" Her supporters are now actively pushing to Blackmail Senator Obama into putting Hillary Clinton on his ticket as Vice President.
I for one thought that it was the nominee's choice to make who their Vice President will be "NOT" supporters from the other side signing petitions that don't mean a damn thing trying to force Barack into a box. I knew when the media first reported this that she was interested in being V.P. that she was trying steal Barack's historic moment as well as putting Barack in a no win situation, if he says yes then he'll go against the change message and look like a liar, if he says no then he's a bad guy for not picking her when she received so many votes.
Everything the Clinton's have done in this race has been underhanded, and last night proved just that. Here are the photograph's from the historic rally in St. Paul last night i hope everyone enjoys them.
FEEDBACK AND COMMENTS ALWAYS WELCOMED
As Barack edge's closer to capturing the Democratic presidential nomination in his historic White House bid today amid speculation that Hillary Clinton will soon drop out the media outlets have all but made it clear that Barack's candidacy is not historic at all focusing all of their attention on why Hillary Clinton should stay in the race to convince super delegates that she is the stronger candidate.The Clinton campaign denied a report that the New York senator would say tonight -- after final voting in this primary season has come to a close -- that Obama has the delegates to secure the Democratic nomination, and they still reserve the right to take this to the convention "said Harold Ickes" Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe told CNN Hillary will "absolutely not" conceding the campaign and said The Associated Press report was completely incorrect. The nomination fight goes on until somebody gets the magic number and that isn't there today and that is not at all what Senator Clinton is going to talk about tonight," McAuliffe said.Citing two unidentified senior campaign officials, the AP said Clinton, who is trailing Barack in the five-month state-by-state nominating contest, would stop short of suspending or ending her bid to face Republican John McCain in the November general election.I find it not surprising that the biased news media is now trying to make the case for Hillary to be on Barack's ticket by stating those same tired arguments about those"HARD WORKING -WHITE- BLUE COLLAR VOTERS"as they say-- that Bill Clinton didn't even carry in 1992, but all of the media outlets and Hillary Clinton's people are stating Barack has to carry them in the general election in order to but successful in the fall election.The Clinton's are not about party unity and never have been, it's always been about her, never America. They have damaged Barack somewhat with their inflammatory race and gender baiting language trying to poison the well as they say. I have lost all respect for the Clinton's and Senator Obama will lose allot of respect if he chooses Hillary Clinton as a running mate.Expectations Clinton is near conceding have been building as Democrats in the final two states -- Montana and South Dakota -- went to the polls. Voting ends in South Dakota at 7 p.m. MDT/9 p.m. EDT (0100 GMT), and in Montana an hour later, with results expected shortly after, but Clinton refuses to see the writing on the wall, this sense of entitlement that they seem to have that the Presidency was owed to them is mind-boggling---> Video 1 Video 2With 31 delegates to the Democrats' August convention at stake, the two states are the last to vote. The party's battle has pitted Barack Obama who would be only the second unifying U.S. Chief Executive against a woman who would be the country's first female president. But as it stands now that time has now passed as Barack will be the Democratic party's nominee and will go on to become President of this great nation, the only question on everyones mind is who will you choose as your Vice President.
I JUST HOPE IT'S NOT HILLARY.
Montana & South Dakota--are Often paid scant attention too in U.S. presidential elections, Native Americans are taking an unusually high profile in the final stretch of the Democratic primary campaign.
One Montana tribe, the Crow Nation, has ceremoniously adopted Obama, giving him a name which means "one who helps people throughout this land."
"Never before have we had such hope for a candidate, except maybe a Kennedy," said Crow Chairman Carl Venne, who said Obama was the first U.S. presidential candidate ever to visit his tribe in southeastern Montana.
In previous elections, the party's candidate has been decided long before primary voting in Montana and South Dakota. Barack is looking to put the finishing touches on these two final contests June 3.
Just above 1 percent of the U.S. population is Native American, but the numbers rise to more than 6 percent in Montana on the Canadian border. Depending on turnout, they could represent as many as 15 percent of Montana's Democratic voters, numbers that could tip the state's outcome although Barack appears poised overall to win both national contest.
Extreme Poverty is widespread among many tribes especially in remote areas of the Western states and many Native Americans see Democrats as more sympathetic to issues important on the reservations including more jobs and better health care and education. As many Native Americans see the effects still linger today of being given booze and being tricked and forced off their lands, as well as the hardships they have gone through in times past and they look to Obama for change they can believe in again.
Many Native Americans state they don't trust disgraced Republican John McCain as they stated he doesn't share their values, he only represents George Bush and big money interest. "You know" i happen to agree with the Native Americans on this one John McCain is not fit to be the leader of the free world. "And that's the gospel truth"
Barack also made stops in South Dakota at the now famous Corn Palace, I for one didn't think such a place existed till i witnessed it first hand. Much hard work is being done in Montana and South Dakota right now as i speak to you and people are still FIRED UP" and READY TO GO........are you?
For those who missed the Rally at the Corn Palace here is the Video Link
LAS CRUCES, N.M. - Bill Richardson stated Yesterday Democrats will eventually unite once the hard-fought presidential nomination battle between Barack and Hillary Rodham Clinton is resolved but that process may take time.
“There’s going to be a need for healing,” Richardson, a former White House hopeful who is backing Obama.
Bill Richardson, who had served as energy secretary and ambassador to the United Nations in former disgraced President Bill Clinton’s administration, remained on the fence for several weeks before deciding to support Barack two months ago.
After announcing his decision, he talked of a tense phone call with Hillary Rodham Clinton when he broke the news to her. James Carville, a longtime adviser to Bill Clinton, called Richardson a “Judas.” for supporting Barack.
Barack, who now holds leads in every category Popular Vote- Super Delegates-Pledged Delegates- and States won over Hillary Rodham Clinton that are insurmountable, was on the campaign trail with Richardson on Monday. The governor Richardson introduced the Illinois senator at a Memorial Day veterans forum in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Richardson, who is of Latino descent, provides more of a boost to Obama’s efforts to court Hispanic voters that aren't familiar with him.
Campaigning in Puerto Rico last weekend, Obama spoke some Spanish phrases into his speech. Richardson said the senator’s Spanish is “passable” but the effort is appreciated by these voters.
Although Latinos gravitated toward Clinton in many of the primary races because they were familiar with Hillary Clinton, Richardson said Obama can boost his support by increasing his visibility with the community.
Listing some of the messages that will help Barack, Richardson said, “He talks about respect. He’s a minority himself” and comes from a family of modest means.
