As I watched last night's results, I made a funny (and quite interesting) comparison of what has happened so far in Iowa and New Hampshire to the original Star Wars trilogy! Yes, I can be a big *geek*!
Iowa = A New Hope
New Hampshire = The Empire Strikes Back
South Carolina (and beyond) = Return of the Jedi!
Yes, I've compared Obama to Jedi (the good forces) and Clinton to the Empire (bad forces), but I thought it was rather clever!
GO OBAMA!
"What kind of world do you want? Think Anything Let's start at the start Build a masterpiece Be careful what you wish for History starts now... " - Five for Fighting
I love that song and it embodies how I feel about Barack on the cusp of the caucuses and primaries. I have hope and I did not fall blindly into it. I read, researched, and came out to hear him. Who he is and what he stands for and what he's done won me over.
When I saw Michelle last week, she echoed my sentiments and feelings about the state of our country, what can help it, and what we can do to bring that about. In her own right she's fabulous. If it becomes a habit for first ladies to run for president, she'd have my vote. :)
I haven't supported a Democrat for president since the first election I voted in - Dukakis in '88. Obama bridges the divide. He unites people. He sees beyond the categories to the common good deep down we all believe in and desire. That takes strength and vision.
I'm Fired Up! I'm Ready to Go! Iowa, I hope you are, too. GO FOR IT!
Me and a friend are traveling from Lincoln to Iowa for the caucus. we have a couple empty seats, anyone wanna ride? call me at 2397689 ASAP
-Craig
Reposted from an email I sent to the Minnesota group:
I got to see and hear Michelle Obama this morning in Missouri Valley, IA. It was my first time seeing her in person and she is as powerful if not more than the video clips I've seen.She shared quite a bit about her background as well as Barack's. So much of what she said resonates with how I'm feeling. For instance, that we've become a nation of fear and that's not how to raise the next generation. She said no one would say they don't care about kids. Everyone cares about kids; the issue is that people care about their own kids and not everyone else's. She talked about kindness and said Barack has said there is a dearth of empathy for each other. She spoke a little about his experience but primarily focused on his character. I'm glad she did. Experience, I can read about on his website and I have. Those who know him best, who know him off camera and at the end of a work day and in good times and bad, that's significant. That's helpful in understanding someone's motivation and getting a sense of how they operate. I was surprised to hear that her and Barack just finished paying off their own education 3 years ago and if he hadn't have had 2 best selling books they would still be paying for their education. She did not use hyperbole. She did not sugar coat. She didn't pound the podium. And still I got goosebumps because she spoke with such conviction and - by her own words - as a citizen who cares about the future for everyone's sake.
The rest of my photos from the event are here.Oh, and afterwards I had lunch with my fella who's in town from Minneapolis. He's not much into getting involved in politics beyond the general election. I said I found out the scoop on the MN caucus on 2/5 and would he caucus for Obama with me? He said he would. Yay! :)
OBAMA IN '08!!!!!!!
I attended the season of change rally this evening in Council Bluffs, Iowa. This is likely the last time I will see Obama before I move to MN (in a mere 4 weeks!). With all my heart I hope he has great success in IA and NH and continues on so I get another chance to see him there. Though nothing will match seeing him in small venues in Iowa and actually getting to shake the man's hand and tell him he's given me hope.
If I could motivate myself to change the way I'm motivated by Barack to believe we can change this country, I think I'd feel like the bionic woman. :)
All my photos from today's rally are here. My whole Obama set is here.
I am FIRED UP and READY TO GO. My fellow Obama supporters across the river in Iowa, we're depending on you January 3rd!
1580 AM "The Tilt" in Lincoln Nebraska has recorded the first show to be broadcasted New Year's Day. You can hear it right now: file:///Users/paulschuster/Music/iTunes/iTunes%20Music/Craig%20Schuster/The%20Tilt/The%20Tilt%201580%2012_19_07.m4a
I interview Maurianna Shelborn, Political Science Grad from Hastings College.
This was my first show, and sadly I have a cold. If you listen closely I mess up a couple words, but I was paying for studio time so I didn't worry about it.
I include music throughout the program, so you're not confused when you hear it.
Has anyone read about the new scientific discoveries on abortion research? Right now I’m reading the front page of the November 21st Lincoln Journal Star with the headline “Stem Cell breakthrough reported.” Evidently Japanese and American scientists are claiming that they can create stem cells from ordinary skin cells, which would completely end all the arguments going on over stem cell research. Now this is a scientific milestone being called the equivalent of the Wright Brothers’ first airplane. And with all of the attention this discovery is getting, it’s expected that the Bush administration is going to find a way to somehow take credit for it. Bush, recently vetoing 2 bills allowing federal funding for research, just had to feel good about his part in the discovery. From the November 21st Journal Star article, I quote: “Even before the research was officially published Tuesday, White House officials began making the case that the studies vindicated the president’s unwavering six-year opposition to funding for embryo cell research and his longstanding position the scientific progress is possible without offending the morality of millions of Americans.” End quote.
Yeah, thanks a lot Bush, I’m sure it was you who funded the actual laboratories that came up with the research discovery, too? Thanks God, we might have disease cures soon when we could have had them years ago. Karl Zinsmeister also commented by saying, quote, “You don’t have to have a culture war about this.” End quote. Culture war?! Culture war, culture war, where is he getting this “culture war” from? Oh is that Bill O’Reilly’s new book, or is it the newly framed phrase fresh out of a right wing think tank designed to divide America by cultures? America is a collection of cultures living together. We don’t have a culture war here, only the image of one that’s suppose to scare the average white conservative into thinking that he or she is being attacked by people of different nationalities or beliefs who are living right next door! If anything here we have a society war, where a portion of the population who can determine what’s happening on a global and historical scale are demanding answers and the rest of the population who either doesn’t care enough or is blinded by their own self interest not to give 2 cents about what needs to be done. When you hear the phrase “culture war” remember that it is but an illusion uniquely designed to harbor negative emotions in your moral beliefs.
Back to the Journal Star article, Robert Lanza, chief scientific officer of Advanced Cell Technology says, quote, “I cannot overstate that this is early stage research, and that we should not abandon other areas of research.” End quote. Well I couldn’t agree with you more, Dr. Lanza but I think that this can be easily used as the response Bush needs to any further question of weather or not we should federally fund any other research on stem cells. I mean seriously, lets be real, there’s was slim chance of it before, but there’s absolutely no chance until January of 09’ when perhaps we get a more competent president in the Oval Office. The article continues with Senator Edward Kennedy from Massachusetts saying that embryonic stem cell research must continue. He adds that, quote “Instead of aiding that fight, the Bush administration is hampering it through needless restrictions on stem cell research and by denying NIH the funding it needs.” End quote. The article finally says what were all thinking by adding that quote “1 researcher involved in Tuesday’s reports said the Bush restrictions may have slowed the discovery of the new method, since scientists first had to study embryonic cells to find out how to accomplish the same thing with out embryos.” End quote.
James Thompson, who led researchers at the U. of Wisconsin said quote “My feeling is that the political controversy set the field back four or five years.” End quote. Four or five years?! Wow, we could have had the same information that were just finding out about now four or five years ago! I wonder how many lives that would have saved? Or how much money? I couldn’t even imagine. I want to know what you guys think I want you to email me your thoughts on this discussion, the article, or the issue in general. My email address is craig.schuster@Doane.edu Please email me and I will get back to you thank you.
Shrew: –noun, a woman of violent temper and speech; termagan
I've been laid up sick all day and spent some time this afternoon reading the news. This article from the NY Times sickened me.
An excerpt:
[Clinton said] “The argument suggests that people like me, and Governor Richardson, and Senator Dodd and Senator Biden, are somehow disqualified from making the changes that American [sic] needs, even though we’ve been doing that for decades.”
She's been making the changes America needs "for decades"? She started her term in the Senate in January of 2001. That was almost 7 years ago. Is she converting her time in the Senate to dog years?
I can't say she's changed America for the better in that time with her votes. Maybe she's gotten some pork spending for New York, I don't know. But America as a whole? I don't see her as providing positive change or as a positive role model.
I am not surprised by her attacks. Politics is a challenging field and unfortunately, as the Iowa caucus draws nearer this is only going to get worse. I shudder to think what will happen when we're down to just a few days. I predict her camp will release a flood of nasty innuendo and attacks. What I hope is that Obama and my fellow supporters take the high road and that Clinton is seen for the vindictive and dishonest person that she is.
When that Iowa caucus happens, I want to see the taming of the shrew.
I watched the Republican YouTube debate on CNN last night. It is the first Republican debate I've watched this year in its entirety. And to think, this is a party I believed in once upon a time. I could relate to very little of what was being said and overall, the candidates seemed completely out of touch.
Hunter and Paul made a few sensible comments. Overall the answers included a lot of rhetoric and pandering regarding security and immigration. And Romney, omg. Talk about rehearsed and afraid to give a committed answer. Waterboarding is torture. Is he too afraid of not being in lockstep with the current administration on that to be honest? It would appear so. Some of the people who submitted questions were out there too.
Watching that debate, I felt like they were living in a different country than the one many of us are. It is amazing to me - this gap in what seems pragmatic and logical. If what I see happening in a red state is any indication, those fellas are going to be in for a rude awakening. They are losing support of many conservatives who are realizing that what we've been doing isn't working. All this rhetoric about security is ridiculous. Most people across the political spectrum I know realize the perception of America as a bully is what is stirring up more hatred against us, requiring more security. The number one thing we could do for security is partner with the world, not try to dominate it.
If there was ever a time we needed hope for change, this is that time.
New to Lincoln, NE- Starting January 1st, 1850 AM is LUNk radio, Lincoln's Underground Network. I am Craig, and I have been asked by the producers at this station to perform an hour long talk segment with a format of my choice! I have agreed, and soon "Craig- Lincoln's only Progressive voice of Lincoln" will be dominating the airwaves! Part of my format is to interview real people from Lincoln, and talk about real issues that affect real people. I am looking for people who feel as if they would be comfortable speaking on my show. If you have something to say I want to hear from you!! My email address is craig.schuster@doane.edu please get in touch with me as we will begin recording in December. Thank you
-Craig Schuster
I am still riding high from my experience hearing Barack yesterday in Council Bluffs!
Last night, friends invited me over for dinner. The conversation turned to health care and someone asked me if Obama talked about the state of health care. I said, "That was the staple of his speech!" :) Affordable Health Care for All
More of my pics!
We had a great conversation which continued on for hours about candidates and everyone's frustration with the current state of our nation. Everyone there is fairly conservative and for the first time, some of them are not automatically figuring they'll vote for a right wing candidate.
They asked me what sets Obama apart and I got to tell them why he is different - and better - for this country. Experience was brought up and again, I got to speak about why his experience is relevent and why others' experience - namely that of Washington politics and games - is NOT what we need anymore of.
Everyone agreed that the debates have been great and because there have been so many, we've gotten to learn a lot more than past elections. Debates are also good for outing those who have something to hide if the right questions are asked.
I recommended my friends come to Barack's website and read his position on all the issues. One of them said, "So you think I should vote for Obama?" I replied that he should read the positions of the candidates that interest him and vote how his heart and mind tell him.
I'm thrilled that more and more people are coming around and not accepting things as they are and realizing something's got to change. I have to believe there's hope for change. Obama is the only one out there giving me hope.
I saw Obama again today. This time, I got to shake his hand and thank him for running which was great. I was seriously shaking just being that close. His presence is amazing.
I wish I could be involved in activities in Iowa to help him. Unfortunately, my on call rotations and work interfere. Both times he's spoken in CB, I've been on call had to ask a co-worker to cover for me. I'm also getting ready to move to Minnesota in the next 2 months. I'm really hoping he's able to stay in the race and I can help out the campaign after the move.
Anyway, it was great to see him today. I love that he's honest and doesn't say what's popular just to be liked.
I'm going to submit some of my pics I took to the campaign. Here's my whole Obama set on Flickr.
“I’m not somebody comfortable with liberal-conservative labels. What the American people are looking for are commonsense solutions.”
-Barack Obama, Meet the Press, July 25, 2004
I consider myself a Realist well before I call myself a Democrat. I am 21 years old and come from an overly misinterpreted generation that has been torn every which way since our birth to be marketed to by our Capitalist culture. I am a Political Science major and support Mr. Obama because he, and only he, has a vision that will capture the imagination and the will of a society vastly indebted to their own pocketbooks. My generation has a less than 15% voter turnout- not because we don’t care, but because we cannot assimilate ourselves toward any person or idea because our political structure is a very formal system that has been in place, virtually unchanged, for literally centuries. Go ahead and look outside, 2007 has been a year that has retired much traditional thought and it’s easy to say that “Values” and “Liberty” are words that are a little more challenging to define.
Political Scientist at Doane College, Lincoln campus
A bunch of people are organizing a big donation day the day after the next debate. We need to make a statement that we stand behind our candidate. 50, 20, 10 or even 5 bucks &/or buy something from his store... do anything to contribute to his campaign. We need to use every bit of leverage we can to top Hillary in Iowa, this is one small thing you can do to take her down a notch. Obama is doing his part, this is a chance for you to do yours!
Don't forget!
Solomon Kleinsmith
Chairman
Omaha for Obama
www.OMA4Obama.org
PS- If any other groups in Nebraska want an online place to organize off of this site, shoot me an email and I'll put together a page for you on my site and some forum rooms, or help you put up a site of your own really fast if you buy the domain name (less than 10 bucks)
An article about "Red state Obama supporters" by TIME magazine reporter Jay Newton-Small has made it to Yahoo's front page!!! Our state's groups are mentioned, as well as other states.
Here is the link to the article on Yahoo in case its not still on the front page when you read this:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20071106/us_time/obamasredstateappeal
Hopefully this'll get us some good publicity!!!
Solomon K
OMA4Obama.org
Hey all, my name is Sol Kleinsmitht and I'm the Chair and founder of Omaha for Obama. I've set up a new site (version 3.0) of our site and the way I've set it up I can set up areas of the site that we can all use. If anyone outside of Omaha wants a special page for their area and sections of the forums that they can talk amongst themselves, I can set that up really easily and quickly.
We need more groups working in Nebraska and if you want advice on how to start a group in your area and keep it thriving (I've learned from alot of mistakes over the last nine months), just shoot me an email either here or at OMA4Obama@gmail.com.
So check out our new site and have a good one!
http://www.OMA4Obama.org/
