" I am a New Democrat."
Pres. Barack Obama 3/10/09
The SC New Democrats are conducting a SCePoll amoung South Carolina voters about your ideas and suggestitons of how we can build on Barack's success here in SC and win in state elections in 2010. http://scnewdems.questionpro.com/
Pls take a few minutes and take the poll and give us your ideas and suggestions.
And then be sure to come to our Winning NOW - Seminar and Strategy Session on April 24 at 2:30 at the Inn at USC. Also, we will have a reception following the seminar honoring the 'Rising Stars' in Democratic politics in the state. http://www.scnewdemocrats.org/
Come help us change politics in South Carolina...NOW.
Thanks for all that you are doing
Phil Noble
I've been meaning to post this sooner, but I've been busy with my new job, and it still hasn't really sunk in for me yet. I can't believe it! I'm so proud of President Elect Obama and all the work that we all did to make this happen. I'm glad to say that I was a part of something so historic. I want to thank everyone that made this website possible and the folks in charge of the call team for giving me the opportunity to make a difference. I really appreciate this, and I'll never forget it. I'm so excited that Barack was elected! I can't wait for him to take charge this coming January and show everyone what true change and leadership is. We did it!
Love,
Nadiya
A first hand account in the words of a young voter, Sarah Jamieson, in South Carolina:
Being a long-time resident and registered voter in South Carolina, I'm not suprised to hear that McCain won in our state.
I just returned home from 2 hours in line at the polls. I must say that my experience there left me very nervous. The long lines were the least of my worries after arriving. A half hour had passed before I could get an election official to direct me to the correct line to be in. I expected to show up, get in line, vote, and be on my way.
However, there were 4 lines to wait in: the first line was where you had to 'sign in,' the second, where you waited to receive a white square of paper that said something to the effect of 'verified registered voter,' and then the 3rd & 4th line, depending on your precinct where you then waited to vote. Finally, I got to the front of the 'sign in' line where I gave the election official my identification.
He quickly scrolled down a printed list of names to the letter 'J' and said that I wasn't on 'the list.' He handed my identification off to another election official who moved to a chair in the corner and was attempting to call someone I assume who could verify my voter registration. He made 3 frustrated attempts to make this phone call and returned 15 minutes later with a paper ballot. He had filled out section at the top that read, "voter not on the list, tried to call the local election headquarters but there was no answer." He instructed me on how to fill out the ballot properly and stuck me in a corner at a desk.
The majority of the state & local voting categories had one candidate running uncontested whose party affiliation was republican. Of course, there was an alloted space for a write-in candidate. I left those categories blank. The confusion, disorganization, and as disshelved if not more of a mess than this one. I'm optimistically hoping that this will not contribute to the election results but fear that such is unavoidable. I stuck my paper ballot into a plastic black box and left. My skepticism makes me worry that my paper ballot vote will not make it to the right place.
http://www.neurope.eu/articles/90419.php
Well, this year has been extremely exciting, and now everything's coming to an end. I already know that all of you are going to hit those polls today. I'm going in a few minutes. I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed this experience. It wasn't always pleasant making those phone calls (especially in the swing states), but for the most part, I loved it, and I feel good knowing that I played a small part in history. I hope y'all feel the same way. Let's get out there and get Barack Obama elected!
BTW, just a small tidbit...the other day, I was making calls to Florida, and I had an immigrant woman on my list (happens every now and again). Well, when the woman answered, I told her who I was and why I was calling. She then rudely replied, "Who's gonna vote for a black man?" and hung up the phone. That nasty comment alone makes me want Sen. Obama to win this thing even more than before, just to prove that bigoted woman wrong. Everyone, bring your family and friends to the polls, do whatever you have to do!
One last time...Obama-Biden '08!
Hey, y'all!!
I went to Charlotte, NC and canvassed for Sen. Obama this past weekend (Oct. 24, 2008) by way of MoveOn.Org. I had a really great time! I carpooled with some really nice ladies, and the folks we spoke with were really cool. Most of them had already voted early for Sen. Obama (that was the point of us going to the neighborhood in the first place; to get people to go ahead and vote early), and we sucessfully convinced two people to register and vote early as well! It was great! We didn't stay too long, but I still had a great time, and felt good about doing my part. I walked away with some cool souvenirs, too! If the ladies contact me again to go this weekend, I'm definitely going again! Let's get on out there and vote!
Obama-Biden '08!
Notzi
P.S. I just finished The Audacity of Hope this weekend during my trip. It was a fantastic book. For anyone that wants to know "The real Barack Obama," all they have to do is read this book and/or Dreams from My Father. They'll learn everything they need to know.
As a former South Carolina resident who now lives in Europe, I'd like to report that the reaction of much of the world to Sarah Palin's nomination is one of bewilderment and fear. "We knew Americans are not too bright (George W?) but what are they thinking?"...."Truly bizarre."...."As the Republican vice president could easily, if not likely, in the event of a McCain win, end up becoming the leader of the free world, the prospect is terrifying".... (reports from European press and media).
I have been reassuring folks over here that Americans are easily distracted, but not stupid, which is not easy to do in the wake of the Bush administration's devastating effect on the United States' reputation in the world.
Sarah Palin is indeed a frightening woman, but I have no fear that Americans will remain distracted for very much longer before they realize the absurdity of the Republican party's most recent blunder. Evidence in point, watch the polls in the coming weeks as the nation comes to its senses. An unbiased source, which provides a summary of ALL of the latest poll data, can be found here: http://www.pollster.com/polls/us/08-us-pres-ge-mvo.php
There are those who will continue to press forward armed with no more than creative fiction, as they attempt to discredit Barack Obama, and a set of blinders for the path of destruction left by our current administration. Sadly, it is pointless to argue or debate with these individuals, as their manipulation of fact has nothing to do with a believed truth, but rather is coded language for, "I will never vote for a black man."
Palin adviser warned that firing raised 'grave' concern
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (CNN) -- A former ethics adviser to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin warned in July that firing her public safety commissioner would become a "grave concern" for her administration.
Gov. Sarah Palin is fighting allegations she improperly tried to force the firing of her then brother-in-law.
Wevley Shea, a former U.S. attorney and fellow Republican, urged Palin to apologize to former Commissioner Walt Monegan and fire anyone on her staff who discussed her former brother-in-law, state Trooper Mike Wooten, with the commissioner.
"Your 'political advisers' have given you poor counsel; the situation is now grave," Shea wrote in a July 24 letter to the governor. "I recommend the following action 'now' to restore your credibility and Alaska's bright future with you."
2008 SC Campaign for Change comes to Greenville
The South Carolina Democratic Party will officially begin its Campaign for Change efforts in Greenville Monday during the Campaign for Change Kick-off and Register for Change Event.
The Register for Change Bus tour is a part of a national grassroots voter registration effort led by the Democratic National Committee. Come Join Greenville Democratic Party Chair Kevin Mertens, former South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Joe Erwin, Senator Ralph Anderson, and South Carolina Democratic Party Executive Director Jay Parmley for this special event!
Monday, July 28 4:00 p.m. until 5:30p.m. Greenville County Democratic Party headquarters 1300-J E. Washington Street Greenville, SC.
Bring friends, bring friends of friends!
More details on Obama website
http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/44klk
Obama '08
David Paul Kuhn Sun Jun 15, 8:05 AM ET Politico
One week into the general election, the polls show a dead heat. But many presidential scholars doubt that John McCain stands much of a chance, if any.
Historians belonging to both parties offered a litany of historical comparisons that give little hope to the Republican. Several saw Barack Obama’s prospects as the most promising for a Democrat since Roosevelt trounced Hoover in 1932.
“This should be an overwhelming Democratic victory,” said Allan Lichtman, an American University presidential historian who ran in a Maryland Democratic senatorial primary in 2006. Lichtman, whose forecasting model has correctly predicted the last six presidential popular vote winners, predicts that this year, “Republicans face what have always been insurmountable historical odds.” His system gives McCain a score on par with Jimmy Carter’s in 1980.
“McCain shouldn’t win it,” said presidential historian Joan Hoff, a professor at Montana State University and former president of the Center for the Study of the Presidency. She compared McCain’s prospects to those of Hubert Humphrey, whose 1968 loss to Richard Nixon resulted in large part from the unpopularity of sitting Democratic president Lyndon Johnson.
Sun, Jun. 08, 2008
Why Obama will win South Carolina
By PHIL NOBLE - Guest Columnist
Most pundits and even some senior Democratic Party officials in our state have said Sen. Barack Obama doesn’t have a prayer of carrying South Carolina in the fall election. He will.
History is, admittedly, on the side of the doubters. Since 1960, the only Democrat to carry South Carolina was Jimmy Carter from neighboring Georgia in 1976. In the seven presidential contests since then, Democrats have averaged only 40 percent of the vote. John Kerry got 41 percent.
But predicting the future based solely on the past is like trying to steer a car by looking backwards through the rearview mirror — often with the predictable results.
There are five reasons the results of an Obama candidacy in South Carolina will be different:
First, it’s time. Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come, and Obama’s time has come. Americans are ready for something fundamentally different in our national politics. Americans are fed up with politics as usual and the politicians who deliver it. They want to move beyond the stale division, the senseless partisanship and the corruption of special-interest politics. Obama represents this fundamental change.
Second, the map and the math will be different. Traditionally, the two parties analyze past election returns and focus on a dozen or so battleground or swing states and ignore the rest of the country. The South in general and South Carolina in particular have fallen victim to this traditional math, and we have been ignored as a safe Republican state.
But Palmetto state Democrats are excited and are turning out to vote in record numbers. In the presidential primaries, more Democrats than Republicans voted for the first time in many years, with Democratic turnout up 80 percent and Republicans down 25 percent from 2004. The number of African-Americans who voted in our state’s presidential primary more than doubled.
With the realization that Obama has a real shot at becoming the first black president, excitement will grow to a fever pitch in the African-American community. About 250,000 blacks are not registered to vote, and the Obama campaign has already launched an aggressive voter registration drive. Black turnout in November will likely increase by at least a third, maybe more, over ’04 — fundamentally changing traditional Election Day math.
Third, Democrats will be united like never before. Forget all the talk about the Clintons dividing the party. In order to repair the damage they have done to the Clinton brand, they will see it in their own self-interest to enthusiastically embrace and support Obama. I predict their rehabilitation performance at the Democratic Convention will make it seem like they were the ones who made Obama’s historic breakthrough possible.
Fourth, the money. When Obama made his first trip to South Carolina in January of last year, I suggested that with a strong online effort he could raise $500 million. His response was wide-eyed amazement and disbelief. Today, he has raised more than half this amount, and he’s just now secured the nomination.
I predicted that by Election Day the combined Obama/Democratic Party effort will raise $1 billion — yes, “billion” with a “b’.
The impact on the state and local level will be dramatic. For years we Democrats have fanaticized about a strong, united party with an energizing message and adequate resources to run a truly coordinated campaign from the White House to the Court House. This time, it will happen.
Fifth, Sen. John McCain’s candidacy is fundamentally flawed. Just like Bob Dole in 1996, McCain is likely to fade into bit player. Everyone respects McCain’s service to the country; he is a true American hero. But that’s not the point.
He lacks a clear and compelling vision of where he wants to take the country. His plan for Iraq looks like more of the same. And when compared to Obama’s youth and charisma, he simply seems too old and tired.
The Obama campaign will also accelerate change politics in South Carolina beyond November. It already has. In the January primary, he brought out a whole new generation of young and black voters who, having tasted success will not likely fade away but instead will demand more. And most importantly, there is now emerging a whole new generation of reform candidates, both black and white, who are committed to changing politics as usual — from the school boards to the courthouses to the State House.
So, it’s time. It’s time for us to quit gazing backwards in the rearview mirror into the political darkness of the past. It’s time for us to look ahead to the bright new day that is dawning in Palmetto State politics.
---Mr. Noble, a Charleston businessman, is a member of Sen. Obama’s statewide steering committee and president of S.C. New Democrats, a reform group founded by former Governor Richard Riley.
phil@philnoble.com
Daily Kos does the real Popular vote math... including caucuses
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/6/1/16747/37393/979/526838
He takes the time to point out that the HRC calculations were leaving out:
Just for giggles, here's what is excluded from the Clinton Math:
Alaska Colorado Hawaii Idaho Iowa Kansas Maine Minnesota Nebraska Nevada North Dakota Texas (Caucus only) Washington WyomingANY popular votes for Obama in Michigan but I guess those are only minor details
Alaska Colorado Hawaii Idaho Iowa Kansas Maine Minnesota Nebraska Nevada North Dakota Texas (Caucus only) Washington Wyoming
ANY popular votes for Obama in Michigan
but I guess those are only minor details
We need some more Obama support on the DNC website. More pro Obama blogs, more posting and trying to bring the party together
Make a Profile/blog there - it is the same tool as MyBarackObama only called Party Builder there
Please go check it out and SIGN UP... populate the groups for Sen. Obama!
The full text of Jeremiah Wright's "Audacity To Hope" sermon in 1990:
Several years ago while I was in Richmond, the Lord allowed me to be in that city during the week of the annual convocation at Virginia Union University School of Theology. There I heard the preaching and teaching of Reverend Frederick G. Sampson of Detroit, Michigan. In one of his lectures, Dr. Sampson spoke of a painting I remembered studying in humanities courses back in the late '50s. In Dr. Sampson's powerful description of the picture, he spoke of it being a study in contradictions, because the title and the details on the canvas seem to be in direct opposition.The painting's title is "Hope." It shows a woman sitting on top of the world, playing a harp. What more enviable position could one ever hope to achieve than being on top of the world with everyone dancing to your music?
Several years ago while I was in Richmond, the Lord allowed me to be in that city during the week of the annual convocation at Virginia Union University School of Theology. There I heard the preaching and teaching of Reverend Frederick G. Sampson of Detroit, Michigan. In one of his lectures, Dr. Sampson spoke of a painting I remembered studying in humanities courses back in the late '50s. In Dr. Sampson's powerful description of the picture, he spoke of it being a study in contradictions, because the title and the details on the canvas seem to be in direct opposition.
The painting's title is "Hope." It shows a woman sitting on top of the world, playing a harp. What more enviable position could one ever hope to achieve than being on top of the world with everyone dancing to your music?
As you look closer, the illusion of power gives way to the reality of pain. The world on which this woman sits, our world, is torn by war, destroyed by hate, decimated by despair, and devastated by distrust. The world on which she sits seems on the brink of destruction. Famine ravages millions of inhabitants in one hemisphere, while feasting and gluttony are enjoyed by inhabitants of another hemisphere. This world is a ticking time bomb, with apartheid in one hemisphere and apathy in the other. Scientists tell us there are enough nuclear warheads to wipe out all forms of life except cockroaches. That is the world on which the woman sits in Watt's painting.Our world cares more about bombs for the enemy than about bread for the hungry. This world is still more concerned about the color of skin than it is about the content of character—a world more finicky about what's on the outside of your head than about the quality of your education or what's inside your head. That is the world on which this woman sits.You and I think of being on top of the world as being in heaven. When you look at the woman in Watt's painting, you discover this woman is in hell. She is wearing rags. Her tattered clothes look as if the woman herself has come through Hiroshima or Nagasaki. Her head is bandaged, and blood seeps through the bandages. Scars and cuts are visible on her face, her arms, and her legs.I. Illusion of Power vs. Reality of PainA closer look reveals all the harp strings but one are broken or ripped out. Even the instrument has been damaged by what she has been through, and she is the classic example of quiet despair. Yet the artist dares to entitle the painting Hope. The illusion of power—sitting on top of the world—gives way to the reality of pain.And isn't it that way with many of us? We give the illusion of being in an enviable position on top of the world. Look closer, and our lives reveal the reality of pain too deep for the tongue to tell. For the woman in the painting, what looks like being in heaven is actually an existence in a quiet hell.I've been a pastor for seventeen years. I've seen too many of these cases not to know what I'm talking about. I've seen married couples where the husband has a girlfriend in addition to his wife. It's something nobody talks about. The wife smiles and pretends not to hear the whispers and the gossip. She has the legal papers but knows he would rather try to buy Fort Knox than divorce her. That's a living hell.I've seen married couples where the wife had discovered that somebody else cares for her as a person and not just as cook, maid jitney service, and call girl all wrapped into one. But there's the scandal: What would folks say? What about the children? That's a living hell.I've seen divorcees whose dreams have been blown to bits, families broken up beyond repair, and lives somehow slipping through their fingers. They've lost control. That's a living hell.I've seen college students who give the illusion of being on top of the world—designer clothes, all the sex that they want, all the cocaine or marijuana or drugs, all the trappings of having it all together on the outside—but empty and shallow and hurting and lonely and afraid on the inside. Many times what looks good on the outside—the illusion of being in power, of sitting on top of the world—with a closer look is actually existence in a quiet hell.That is exactly where Hannah is in 1 Samuel 1 :1-18. Hannah is top dog in this three-way relationship between herself, Elkanah, and Peninnah. Her husband loves Hannah more than he loves his other wife and their children. Elkanah tells Hannah he loves her. A lot of husbands don't do that. He shows Hannah that he loves her, and many husbands never get around to doing that. In fact, it is his attention and devotion to Hannah that causes Peninnah to be so angry and to stay on Hannah's case constantly. Jealous! Jealousy will get hold of you, and you can't let it go because it won't let you go. Peninnah stayed on Hannah, like we say, "as white on rice." She constantly picked at Hannah, making her cry, taking her appetite away.At first glance Hannah's position seems enviable. She had all the rights and none of the responsibilities—no diapers to change, no beds to sit beside at night, no noses to wipe, nothing else to wipe either, no babies draining you of your milk and demanding feeding. Hannah was top dog. No baby portions to fix at meal times. Her man loved her; everybody knew he loved her. He loved her more than anything or anybody. That's why Peninnah hated her so much.Now, except for the second-wife bit, which was legal back then, Hannah was sitting on top of the world, until you look closer. When you look closer, what looked like being in heaven was actually existing in a quiet hell.Hannah had the pain of a bitter woman to contend with, for verse 7 says that nonstop, Peninnah stayed with her. Hannah suffered the pain of living with a bitter woman. And she suffered another pain—the pain of a barren womb. You will remember the story of the widow in 2 Kings 4 who had no child. The story of a woman with no children was a story of deep pathos and despair in biblical days.Do you remember the story of Sarah and what she did in Genesis 16 because of her barren womb—before the three heavenly visitors stopped by their tent? Do you remember the story of Elizabeth and her husband in Luke I? Back in Bible days, the story of a woman with a barren womb was a story of deep pathos. And Hannah was afflicted with the pain of a bitter woman on the one hand and the pain of a barren womb on the other.Hannah's world was flawed, flaky. Her garments of respectability were tattered and torn, and her heart was bruised and bleeding from the constant attacks of a jealous woman. The scars and scratches on her psyche are almost visible as you look at this passage, where she cries, refusing to eat anything. Just like the woman in Watt's painting, what looks like being in heaven is actually existence in a quiet hell.Now I want to share briefly with you about Hannah—the lady and the Lord. While I do so, I want you to be thinking about where you live and your own particular pain predicament. Think about it for a moment.Dr. Sampson said he wanted to quarrel with the artist for having the gall to name that painting Hope when all he could see in the picture was hell—a quiet desperation. But then Dr. Sampson said he noticed that he had been looking only at the horizontal dimensions and relationships and how this woman was hooked up with that world on which she sat. He had failed to take into account her vertical relationships. He had not looked above her head. And when he looked over her head, he found some small notes of music moving joyfully and playfully toward heaven.II. The Audacity to HopeThen, Dr. Sampson began to understand why the artist titled the painting "Hope." In spite of being in a world torn by war, in spite of being on a world destroyed by hate and decimated by distrust, in spite of being on a world where famine and greed are uneasy bed partners, in spite of being on a world where apartheid and apathy feed the fires of racism and hatred, in spite of being on a world where nuclear nightmare draws closer with each second, in spite of being on a ticking time bomb, with her clothes in rags, her body scarred and bruised and bleeding, her harp all but destroyed and with only one string left, she had the audacity to make music and praise God. The vertical dimension balanced out what was going on in the horizontal dimension.And that is what the audacity to hope will do for you. The apostle Paul said the same thing. "You have troubles? Glory in your trouble. We glory in tribulation." That's the horizontal dimension. We glory in tribulation because, he says, "Tribulation works patience. And patience works experience. And experience works hope. (That's the vertical dimension.) And hope makes us not ashamed." The vertical dimension balances out what is going on in the horizontal dimension. That is the real story here in the first chapter of 1 Samuel. Not the condition of Hannah's body, but the condition of Hannah's soul—her vertical dimension. She had the audacity to keep on hoping and praying when there was no visible sign on the horizontal level that what she was praying for, hoping for, and waiting for would ever be answered in the affirmative.What Hannah wanted most out of life had been denied to her. Think about that. Yet in spite of that, she kept on hoping. The gloating of Peninnah did not make her bitter. She kept on hoping. When the family made its pilgrimage to the sanctuary at Shiloh, she renewed her petition there, pouring out her heart to God. She may have been barren, but that's a horizontal dimension. She was fertile in her spirit, her vertical dimension. She prayed and she prayed and she prayed and she kept on praying year after year. With no answer, she kept on praying. She prayed so fervently in this passage that Eli thought she had to be drunk. There was no visible sign on the horizontal level to indicate to Hannah that her praying would ever be answered. Yet, she kept on praying.And Paul said something about that, too. No visible sign? He says, "Hope is what saves us, for we are saved by hope. But hope that is seen is not hope. For what a man sees, why does he have hope for it? But if we hope for that which we see not (no visible sign), then do we with patience wait for it."That's almost an echo of what the prophet Isaiah said: "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength." The vertical dimension balances out what is going on in the horizontal dimension.There may not be any visible sign of a change in your individual situation, whatever your private hell is. But that's just the horizontal level. Keep the vertical level intact, like Hannah. You may, like the African slaves, be able to sing, "Over my head I hear music in the air. Over my head I hear music in the air. Over my head I hear music in the air. There must be a God somewhere."Keep the vertical dimension intact like Hannah. Have the audacity to hope for that child of yours. Have the audacity to hope for that home of yours. Have the audacity to hope for that church of yours. Whatever it is you've been praying for, keep on praying, and you may find, like my grandmother sings, "There's a bright side somewhere; there is a bright side somewhere. Don't you rest until you find it, for there is a bright side somewhere."III. Persistence of HopeThe real lesson Hannah gives us from this chapter—the most important word God would have us hear—is how to hope when the love of God is not plainly evident. It's easy to hope when there are evidences all around of how good God is. But to have the audacity to hope when that love is not evident—you don't know where that somewhere is that my grandmother sang about, or if there will ever be that brighter day—that is a true test of a Hannah-type faith. To take the one string you have left and to have the audacity to hope—make music and praise God on and with whatever it is you've got left, even though you can't see what God is going to do—that's the real word God will have us hear from this passage and from Watt's painting.There's a true-life illustration that demonstrates the principles portrayed so powerfully in this periscope. And I close with it. My mom and my dad used to sing a song that I've not been able to find in any of the published hymnals. It's an old song out of the black religious tradition called "Thank you, Jesus." It's a very simple song. Some of you have heard it. It's simply goes, "Thank you Jesus. I thank you Jesus. I thank you Jesus. I thank you Lord." To me they always sang that song at the strangest times—when the money got low, or when the food was running out. When I was getting in trouble, they would start singing that song. And I never understood it, because as a child it seemed to me they were thanking God that we didn't have any money, or thanking God that we had no food, or thanking God that I was making a fool out of myself as a kid.Conclusion: Hope is What Saves UsBut I was only looking at the horizontal level. I did not understand nor could I see back then the vertical hookup that my mother and my father had. I did not know then that they were thanking him in advance for all they dared to hope he would do one day to their son, in their son, and through their son. That's why they prayed. That's why they hoped. That's why they kept on praying with no visible sign on the horizon. And I thank God I had praying parents, because now some thirty-five years later, when I look at what God has done in my life, I understand clearly why Hannah had the audacity to hope. Why my parents had the audacity to hope.And that's why I say to you, hope is what saves us. Keep on hoping; keep on praying. God does hear and answer prayer.
As you look closer, the illusion of power gives way to the reality of pain. The world on which this woman sits, our world, is torn by war, destroyed by hate, decimated by despair, and devastated by distrust. The world on which she sits seems on the brink of destruction. Famine ravages millions of inhabitants in one hemisphere, while feasting and gluttony are enjoyed by inhabitants of another hemisphere. This world is a ticking time bomb, with apartheid in one hemisphere and apathy in the other. Scientists tell us there are enough nuclear warheads to wipe out all forms of life except cockroaches. That is the world on which the woman sits in Watt's painting.
Our world cares more about bombs for the enemy than about bread for the hungry. This world is still more concerned about the color of skin than it is about the content of character—a world more finicky about what's on the outside of your head than about the quality of your education or what's inside your head. That is the world on which this woman sits.
You and I think of being on top of the world as being in heaven. When you look at the woman in Watt's painting, you discover this woman is in hell. She is wearing rags. Her tattered clothes look as if the woman herself has come through Hiroshima or Nagasaki. Her head is bandaged, and blood seeps through the bandages. Scars and cuts are visible on her face, her arms, and her legs.I. Illusion of Power vs. Reality of Pain
A closer look reveals all the harp strings but one are broken or ripped out. Even the instrument has been damaged by what she has been through, and she is the classic example of quiet despair. Yet the artist dares to entitle the painting Hope. The illusion of power—sitting on top of the world—gives way to the reality of pain.
And isn't it that way with many of us? We give the illusion of being in an enviable position on top of the world. Look closer, and our lives reveal the reality of pain too deep for the tongue to tell. For the woman in the painting, what looks like being in heaven is actually an existence in a quiet hell.
I've been a pastor for seventeen years. I've seen too many of these cases not to know what I'm talking about. I've seen married couples where the husband has a girlfriend in addition to his wife. It's something nobody talks about. The wife smiles and pretends not to hear the whispers and the gossip. She has the legal papers but knows he would rather try to buy Fort Knox than divorce her. That's a living hell.
I've seen married couples where the wife had discovered that somebody else cares for her as a person and not just as cook, maid jitney service, and call girl all wrapped into one. But there's the scandal: What would folks say? What about the children? That's a living hell.
I've seen divorcees whose dreams have been blown to bits, families broken up beyond repair, and lives somehow slipping through their fingers. They've lost control. That's a living hell.
I've seen college students who give the illusion of being on top of the world—designer clothes, all the sex that they want, all the cocaine or marijuana or drugs, all the trappings of having it all together on the outside—but empty and shallow and hurting and lonely and afraid on the inside. Many times what looks good on the outside—the illusion of being in power, of sitting on top of the world—with a closer look is actually existence in a quiet hell.
That is exactly where Hannah is in 1 Samuel 1 :1-18. Hannah is top dog in this three-way relationship between herself, Elkanah, and Peninnah. Her husband loves Hannah more than he loves his other wife and their children. Elkanah tells Hannah he loves her. A lot of husbands don't do that. He shows Hannah that he loves her, and many husbands never get around to doing that. In fact, it is his attention and devotion to Hannah that causes Peninnah to be so angry and to stay on Hannah's case constantly. Jealous! Jealousy will get hold of you, and you can't let it go because it won't let you go. Peninnah stayed on Hannah, like we say, "as white on rice." She constantly picked at Hannah, making her cry, taking her appetite away.
At first glance Hannah's position seems enviable. She had all the rights and none of the responsibilities—no diapers to change, no beds to sit beside at night, no noses to wipe, nothing else to wipe either, no babies draining you of your milk and demanding feeding. Hannah was top dog. No baby portions to fix at meal times. Her man loved her; everybody knew he loved her. He loved her more than anything or anybody. That's why Peninnah hated her so much.
Now, except for the second-wife bit, which was legal back then, Hannah was sitting on top of the world, until you look closer. When you look closer, what looked like being in heaven was actually existing in a quiet hell.
Hannah had the pain of a bitter woman to contend with, for verse 7 says that nonstop, Peninnah stayed with her. Hannah suffered the pain of living with a bitter woman. And she suffered another pain—the pain of a barren womb. You will remember the story of the widow in 2 Kings 4 who had no child. The story of a woman with no children was a story of deep pathos and despair in biblical days.
Do you remember the story of Sarah and what she did in Genesis 16 because of her barren womb—before the three heavenly visitors stopped by their tent? Do you remember the story of Elizabeth and her husband in Luke I? Back in Bible days, the story of a woman with a barren womb was a story of deep pathos. And Hannah was afflicted with the pain of a bitter woman on the one hand and the pain of a barren womb on the other.
Hannah's world was flawed, flaky. Her garments of respectability were tattered and torn, and her heart was bruised and bleeding from the constant attacks of a jealous woman. The scars and scratches on her psyche are almost visible as you look at this passage, where she cries, refusing to eat anything. Just like the woman in Watt's painting, what looks like being in heaven is actually existence in a quiet hell.
Now I want to share briefly with you about Hannah—the lady and the Lord. While I do so, I want you to be thinking about where you live and your own particular pain predicament. Think about it for a moment.
Dr. Sampson said he wanted to quarrel with the artist for having the gall to name that painting Hope when all he could see in the picture was hell—a quiet desperation. But then Dr. Sampson said he noticed that he had been looking only at the horizontal dimensions and relationships and how this woman was hooked up with that world on which she sat. He had failed to take into account her vertical relationships. He had not looked above her head. And when he looked over her head, he found some small notes of music moving joyfully and playfully toward heaven.II. The Audacity to Hope
Then, Dr. Sampson began to understand why the artist titled the painting "Hope." In spite of being in a world torn by war, in spite of being on a world destroyed by hate and decimated by distrust, in spite of being on a world where famine and greed are uneasy bed partners, in spite of being on a world where apartheid and apathy feed the fires of racism and hatred, in spite of being on a world where nuclear nightmare draws closer with each second, in spite of being on a ticking time bomb, with her clothes in rags, her body scarred and bruised and bleeding, her harp all but destroyed and with only one string left, she had the audacity to make music and praise God. The vertical dimension balanced out what was going on in the horizontal dimension.
And that is what the audacity to hope will do for you. The apostle Paul said the same thing. "You have troubles? Glory in your trouble. We glory in tribulation." That's the horizontal dimension. We glory in tribulation because, he says, "Tribulation works patience. And patience works experience. And experience works hope. (That's the vertical dimension.) And hope makes us not ashamed." The vertical dimension balances out what is going on in the horizontal dimension. That is the real story here in the first chapter of 1 Samuel. Not the condition of Hannah's body, but the condition of Hannah's soul—her vertical dimension. She had the audacity to keep on hoping and praying when there was no visible sign on the horizontal level that what she was praying for, hoping for, and waiting for would ever be answered in the affirmative.
What Hannah wanted most out of life had been denied to her. Think about that. Yet in spite of that, she kept on hoping. The gloating of Peninnah did not make her bitter. She kept on hoping. When the family made its pilgrimage to the sanctuary at Shiloh, she renewed her petition there, pouring out her heart to God. She may have been barren, but that's a horizontal dimension. She was fertile in her spirit, her vertical dimension. She prayed and she prayed and she prayed and she kept on praying year after year. With no answer, she kept on praying. She prayed so fervently in this passage that Eli thought she had to be drunk. There was no visible sign on the horizontal level to indicate to Hannah that her praying would ever be answered. Yet, she kept on praying.
And Paul said something about that, too. No visible sign? He says, "Hope is what saves us, for we are saved by hope. But hope that is seen is not hope. For what a man sees, why does he have hope for it? But if we hope for that which we see not (no visible sign), then do we with patience wait for it."
That's almost an echo of what the prophet Isaiah said: "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength." The vertical dimension balances out what is going on in the horizontal dimension.
There may not be any visible sign of a change in your individual situation, whatever your private hell is. But that's just the horizontal level. Keep the vertical level intact, like Hannah. You may, like the African slaves, be able to sing, "Over my head I hear music in the air. Over my head I hear music in the air. Over my head I hear music in the air. There must be a God somewhere."
Keep the vertical dimension intact like Hannah. Have the audacity to hope for that child of yours. Have the audacity to hope for that home of yours. Have the audacity to hope for that church of yours. Whatever it is you've been praying for, keep on praying, and you may find, like my grandmother sings, "There's a bright side somewhere; there is a bright side somewhere. Don't you rest until you find it, for there is a bright side somewhere."III. Persistence of Hope
The real lesson Hannah gives us from this chapter—the most important word God would have us hear—is how to hope when the love of God is not plainly evident. It's easy to hope when there are evidences all around of how good God is. But to have the audacity to hope when that love is not evident—you don't know where that somewhere is that my grandmother sang about, or if there will ever be that brighter day—that is a true test of a Hannah-type faith. To take the one string you have left and to have the audacity to hope—make music and praise God on and with whatever it is you've got left, even though you can't see what God is going to do—that's the real word God will have us hear from this passage and from Watt's painting.
There's a true-life illustration that demonstrates the principles portrayed so powerfully in this periscope. And I close with it. My mom and my dad used to sing a song that I've not been able to find in any of the published hymnals. It's an old song out of the black religious tradition called "Thank you, Jesus." It's a very simple song. Some of you have heard it. It's simply goes, "Thank you Jesus. I thank you Jesus. I thank you Jesus. I thank you Lord." To me they always sang that song at the strangest times—when the money got low, or when the food was running out. When I was getting in trouble, they would start singing that song. And I never understood it, because as a child it seemed to me they were thanking God that we didn't have any money, or thanking God that we had no food, or thanking God that I was making a fool out of myself as a kid.Conclusion: Hope is What Saves Us
But I was only looking at the horizontal level. I did not understand nor could I see back then the vertical hookup that my mother and my father had. I did not know then that they were thanking him in advance for all they dared to hope he would do one day to their son, in their son, and through their son. That's why they prayed. That's why they hoped. That's why they kept on praying with no visible sign on the horizon. And I thank God I had praying parents, because now some thirty-five years later, when I look at what God has done in my life, I understand clearly why Hannah had the audacity to hope. Why my parents had the audacity to hope.
And that's why I say to you, hope is what saves us. Keep on hoping; keep on praying. God does hear and answer prayer.
Factcheck on Sen. Obama's church http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioaChVw_pUw
I found this on Dailykos as a great response for any of us to send out "reply all" when we receive them:
Subject: The Real Truth About Barack Obama!As enthusiastic volunteers in the Barack Obama campaign for the Presidency, we have put together a list of facts about Barack so that you will know the truth about him. Please follow the links we have included for documentation of these facts. If you value the truth as we do, please spread this information via email, blog, or any other means, to everyone you know. Did you know that Barack Obama is a devout Christian? He has been a member of the same United Church of Christ congregation for 20 years, and was married there to his wife Michelle in 1992. Did you know that Barack Obama often leads the US Senate in the Pledge of Allegiance? Did you know that Barack Obama is a strong friend of Israel and has spoken out strongly against anti-Semitism? Did you know his grandparents from Kansas were part of the "Greatest Generation?. His grandfather served with Patton's Army during World War II, and his grandmother, a real "Rosie the Riveter", worked in a bomber assembly plant back home. Did you know that Barack Obama was opposed to the war in Iraq from day one, before we invaded, even while he was running for the Senate, and knowing his opposition might be politically unpopular? "I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a U.S. occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world and strengthen the recruitment arm of al Qaeda. I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars." --Barack Obama, 2002 Did you know Obama favors transparency over secrecy in our government? Did you know that Obama worked with Republican Senator Tom Coburn to pass one of the strongest government transparency bills since the freedom of information act? He's calling it Google for Government and you can see the results at www.usaspending.gov. Sen. Obama has also released his own tax returnsfor public review. Did you know that after graduating with honors from Harvard Law School, Barack practiced civil rights law and also taught Constitutional Law for 10 years at the University of Chicago, one of the nation's best law schools, where he was consistently rated by his students as one of their best instructors? Did you also know that he was the first African-American elected president of the prestigious Harvard Law Review? Did you know that Barack Obama is an outspoken advocate for women's rights and has been a principled defender of the civil rights of women? Did you know that despite the grueling schedule of running for President, Senator Obama remains a devoted family man, making time to do things like pick out a Christmas tree with his wife and two young daughters, or hurrying home to spend Valentine's Day with them? Did you know he hasn't missed a single parent-teacher conference while running for President? Did you know that Barack Obama has a stellar environmental record, including having the highest rating from the League of Conservation Voters (96%) of any Presidential candidate, Democrat or Republican? Did you know that Barack Obama has been an elected legislator longer than Senator Clinton? Did you know that Barack is a member of all of these Senate Committees: Foreign Relations; Veteran's Affairs; Health, Education, Labor & Pensions; Homeland Security and Government Affairs? Did you know that Senator Obama has sponsored or co-sponsored 15 bills that have become law, and has introduced amendments to 50 bills, of which 16 were adopted since he joined the Senate in 2005? Did you know that Senator Obama sponsored legislation working together with Indiana Republican Senator Richard Lugar, to keep Americans safe by keeping dangerous weapons out of terrorist hands? The two senators also visited the former Soviet Union to inspect the decommissioning of nuclear weapons. Sen. Lugar said of Sen. Obama, "He does have a sense of idealism and principled leadership, a vision of the future." Did you know that Barack Obama is the only candidate running for president who voted against using cluster bombs in Iraq and the only candidate who supports banning the use of landmines? Did you know that, as an Illinois state senator, Barack Obama succeeded in passing legislation requiring the videotaping of police interrogations, gaining the respect and support not only of fellow legislators but that of the police, who had initially opposed the legislation? Did you know that Theodore Roosevelt, Grover Cleveland, Ulysses S. Grant, John F. Kennedy, and Bill Clinton were all younger when they took office than Barack Obama will be? During election season many emails are circulated about the candidates. Some are true, some aren't. It's often difficult to determine the truth. We encourage you to visit the following non-partisan sites that do a good job of fact checking the candidates.http://www.snopes.com/ http://www.factcheck.org/
Subject: The Real Truth About Barack Obama!
As enthusiastic volunteers in the Barack Obama campaign for the Presidency, we have put together a list of facts about Barack so that you will know the truth about him. Please follow the links we have included for documentation of these facts. If you value the truth as we do, please spread this information via email, blog, or any other means, to everyone you know.
"I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a U.S. occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world and strengthen the recruitment arm of al Qaeda. I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars." --Barack Obama, 2002
During election season many emails are circulated about the candidates. Some are true, some aren't. It's often difficult to determine the truth. We encourage you to visit the following non-partisan sites that do a good job of fact checking the candidates.
http://www.snopes.com/ http://www.factcheck.org/
According to Meet the Press, they think that NC could be the key to this whole thing!
Let's get to work SC and help our Neighbors to the north!!!
Yes We Can!
After three primary State races, Senator has NEVER lost any National Delegates competition. He won in Iowa and Nevada. He tied in New Hampshire. This week comes South Carolina where he can win again. Let's show full strength before super Tuesday February 5th by doing any of the following:
a. “Women Right to Choose Is Important to Me – I Choose OBAMA” b. “Gambling to Get McCain: More of the War – No, I Am Voting OBAMA” c. “Rolling the Dice to Get McCain: No Women Right to Choose – No, I Am Voting OBAMA” d. “Gambling to Get McCain: More of the War – No, I Am Voting OBAMA” e. “Give Me a Break from Divisive Politics - I Vote for OBAMA” f. “Loosing for the Third Time: Not a Fairy Tale – I Choose to Win with OBAMA” g. “I Like the UNITED States of America – I Vote for OBAMA” h. “The Unity of the Country to Address Its Challenges Is Important to Me – I Vote for OBAMA” i. “The DREAM Can Be Voted into Reality – I Choose OBAMA” j. “HOPE Will Keep the DREAM Alive – I Vote for OBAMA” k. “Immigration Reform Is Important for my Community – I Choose OBAMA” l. “Unity at Home and Respect in the World Are Critical to Security – I Choose OBAMA” m. “Congress Voted for the Iraq War Was a Mistake that Made Me Less Safe – I Choose OBAMA”
Please keep HOPE alive! America Our Moment Is Now! Yes We Can! Si Se Puede! Oui Nous Pouvons! Go OBAMA'08 A Change We Can Believe In
You are not alone. Those messages are all coming from the same source. We know how recklessly these people behave.
Here are two links to the facts check pages you requested. Please feel free to send these links around to everyone you know and ask them to do the same. America deserve better than smear attacks in this campaign.
From the Obama campaign: Link
From Truth or Fiction Website (an independent facts check authority): Link
America Our Moment Is Now! Yes We Can! Si Se Puede! Oui Nous Pouvons! Go OBAMA'08 A Change We Can Believe In
I support Senator Obama totally and I would like to make a suggestion. As many bloggers are mentioning now, the style of campaign we are seeing since the Victory in Iowa may be much less attractive than what we saw during the last two weeks of December. The current style also exposed our candidate to the critics (justified or not) that say: "that is only beautiful speeches", "how that will resolve my issues" and "we can't see what he is going to do". My suggestion is to blend Senator Obama events with town hall meetings. He always answers questions directly and fully. People are generally very happy to hear "what they need to know". These questions sessions also come across very nicely on C-SPAN. We need more votes from every group of citizens everywhere. I hope you won't tell me that this is not possible! :) Yes We Can! Si Se Puede! Oui Nous Pouvons! America Our Moment Is Now! Go OBAMA'08 A Change We Can Believe In.
