I am writing this post at 1230 on election day and I have been thinking about the last 2 years and all I can say is wow. I created the Walla Walla group to help lead the charge in that area. I created it the night Barack announced. The fact that we are thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis close to having what we wanted back then, it is special. Things didn't work out in Walla Walla the way I would have liked, but I started working at the office as an intern in Pullman to still be involved. I have made literally thousands of calls and spoken with soooo many people about this election. Those nice people who come into the office to get a sign and talk about the campaign...those are moments that I won't forget. I have learned so much about how campaigns work, but I know that only those candidates whom can inspire people and make them believe can be truly successful. I don't know if Barack will win later today, I sure think he will. But I know that our guy was right on the issues, and the better candidate. A loss today would be heartbreaking after having come so far, but i don't see it hapening. I think Barack will break 300 Electoral votes. That is my "pre-game" prediction. I sure hope i am right.
I want to thank everyone I have met over the last 2 years because of this campaign. I feel I have made some friends that I can always talk politics with. But they are also people with whom I will really enjoy working with in 2012 when it gets to be re-election time.
Win or lose, what a ride! I will post one more tomorrow night.
Thanks for reading, please message me back!
Rick
Last night I attended a Ballot Party here in Dayton. It was a pleasant wine and cheese. It was especially great to see so many people I know who do a lot for the community. The cross section was impressive for a town as small as Dayton. We had a decent crowd re[presenting the young and old, the white and brown. I met some new people, hugged some old friends, and talked about some community issues with stakeholders. It's been good during this campaign to see Rep. Bill Grant spending time on the campaign circuit and being social. Over all it was good to get out last night.
Last Thursday I attended a presentation by Christine Chavez, grand daughter of the late great Cesar Chavez. She addressed the importance of education in the lives of our youth, she recalled memories of growing up in an activist family, and she stated her unyielding support for Barack Obama. Ms. Chavez stated her reason for undying support of Obama, and it's mjuch like my own, he has inspired soooo many people to become involved in the political process after 8 years of apathy. She talked to the young women and girls after her talk, and even talked about her bad dog, Boycott.
During this time of important campaigning, I encourage all of you to put on your buttons and get out into your community to do things you would enjoy doing. Show your support and represent the positive change that will come with a change of regime. This is how we change people's minds. Carry voter registration forms with you this week, and register as many people as you can. Deliver the forms to the elections office if you can't give the poeple stamps. Don't let this fall and wonder what more you could have done.
The following article may be too much to stomach for some who are not familiar with white privilege, and in Palin's case there are socioecenomic factors as well. But give it a read. Original article can be found at http://www.redroom.com/blog/tim-wise/this-your-nation-white-privilege
September 13, 2008, 2:01 pm
By Tim Wise
For those who still can’t grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are constantly looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.
White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because “every family has challenges,” even as black and Latino families with similar “challenges” are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.
White privilege is when you can call yourself a “fuckin’ redneck,” like Bristol Palin’s boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you'll “kick their fuckin' ass,” and talk about how you like to “shoot shit” for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug.
White privilege is when you can attend four different colleges in six years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action.
White privilege is when you can claim that being mayor of a town smaller than most medium-sized colleges, and then Governor of a state with about the same number of people as the lower fifth of the island of Manhattan, makes you ready to potentially be president, and people don’t all piss on themselves with laughter, while being a black U.S. Senator, two-term state Senator, and constitutional law scholar, means you’re “untested.”
White privilege is being able to say that you support the words “under God” in the pledge of allegiance because “if it was good enough for the founding fathers, it’s good enough for me,” and not be immediately disqualified from holding office--since, after all, the pledge was written in the late 1800s and the “under God” part wasn’t added until the 1950s--while believing that reading accused criminals and terrorists their rights (because, ya know, the Constitution, which you used to teach at a prestigious law school requires it), is a dangerous and silly idea only supported by mushy liberals.
White privilege is being able to be a gun enthusiast and not make people immediately scared of you.
White privilege is being able to have a husband who was a member of an extremist political party that wants your state to secede from the Union, and whose motto was “Alaska first,” and no one questions your patriotism or that of your family, while if you're black and your spouse merely fails to come to a 9/11 memorial so she can be home with her kids on the first day of school, people immediately think she’s being disrespectful.
White privilege is being able to make fun of community organizers and the work they do--like, among other things, fight for the right of women to vote, or for civil rights, or the 8-hour workday, or an end to child labor--and people think you’re being pithy and tough, but if you merely question the experience of a small town mayor and 18-month governor with no foreign policy expertise beyond a class she took in college--you’re somehow being mean, or even sexist.
White privilege is being able to convince white women who don’t even agree with you on any substantive issue to vote for you and your running mate anyway, because all of a sudden your presence on the ticket has inspired confidence in these same white women, and made them give your party a “second look.”
White privilege is being able to fire people who didn’t support your political campaigns and not be accused of abusing your power or being a typical politician who engages in favoritism, while being black and merely knowing some folks from the old-line political machines in Chicago means you must be corrupt.
White privilege is being able to attend churches over the years whose pastors say that people who voted for John Kerry or merely criticize George W. Bush are going to hell, and that the U.S. is an explicitly Christian nation and the job of Christians is to bring Christian theological principles into government, and who bring in speakers who say the conflict in the Middle East is God’s punishment on Jews for rejecting Jesus, and everyone can still think you’re just a good church-going Christian, but if you’re black and friends with a black pastor who has noted (as have Colin Powell and the U.S. Department of Defense) that terrorist attacks are often the result of U.S. foreign policy and who talks about the history of racism and its effect on black people, you’re an extremist who probably hates America.
White privilege is not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is when asked by a reporter, and then people get angry at the reporter for asking you such a “trick question,” while being black and merely refusing to give one-word answers to the queries of Bill O’Reilly means you’re dodging the question, or trying to seem overly intellectual and nuanced.
White privilege is being able to claim your experience as a POW has anything at all to do with your fitness for president, while being black and experiencing racism is, as Sarah Palin has referred to it a “light” burden.
And finally, white privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising, and the U.S. is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because white voters aren’t sure about that whole “change” thing. Ya know, it’s just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain…
White privilege is, in short, the problem.
On the anniversary of the Jena Six demonstration let us seriously contemplate race relations in the United States. Let us as individuals be mindful of the degrees and layers of privilege we enjoy. And let us use this anniversary as a date that we remember that the fight against racism and all other "isms" is something we need to be engaged in every day.
I lived in the South this time last year, and race relations are stuck in some sort of time warp it seems. We are not faced with that nearly as much up here in the northwest, but wherever you are there's more to do. Hopefully having a Black President will help that time warp loosen it's hold on peoples' minds. Hopefully even the South will begin to mix n mingle. All those kids in the juvenile justice system. Kids like Martin Lee Anderson who never had a chance, who died while at a Florida Boot Camp, can begin to dream of life beyond the poverty stricken black neighborhoods of the Panhandle.
I guess I feel that there is so much at stake in this election. And while people are schmoozing it up in pantsuits and party dresses, make sure you take note of how many layers of privilege you enjoy.
this article can be found at Jena Six Anniversary http://www.blackvoices.com/blogs/2008/09/18/jena-6-six-anniversary/
Posted Sep 18th 2008 6:00AM by Carmen Dixon Filed under: BlackSpin, Jena Six, Black History 365, News
Jena Six Case
A year ago, rallies in support of the Jena Six were held in Jena, La., and elsewhere in the US. The Sept. 20, 2007, marches were a reaction to the racially-charged case involving attempted murder charges filed against six black teens for a schoolyard fight. The altercation was sparked by a noose being hung from a tree at the school by white students.
Last year, on September 20, 2007, the small town of Jena, which sits 220 miles north of New Orleans, became the setting for one of the largest civil rights demonstrations since the Million Man March. Although the estimates of exactly how many marched in the town of 3,000, police estimate 20,000 college students, religious leaders, civil rights activists, their allies, and national and international media made their way to Jena to protest "selective justice."
More Coverage: The Jena 6 - Where Are They Now?
From Howard Witt, Special Correspondent to The Chicago Tribune:
JENA, La. - There is no single leader. There is no agreed schedule. Organizers aren't even certain where everyone is supposed to gather, let alone use the restroom. The only thing that is known for sure is that thousands of protesters are boarding buses at churches, colleges and community centers across the country this week, headed for this tiny dot on the map of central Louisiana.
Some months earlier, the case of six black teenagers had caught the attention of reporter Howard Witt at the Chicago Tribune and The Observer/UK's Guardian; and in turn their stories caught the attention of a new kind of black activist blogger and their digital allies. All of a sudden, blogs jumped to the forefront as a way for important information to the black community to be passed along and acted upon. It was bloggers and their supportive, outspoken readers who ensured that the mainstream media and established Civil Rights stalwarts would not be allowed to ignore a case so rife with controversy and abuse of power. The Afrosphere was born. It was an unequivocal signal that America's civil rights movement would have a powerful digital component from here on out. From Howard Witt:
As formidable as it is amorphous, this new African-American blogosphere, which scarcely even existed a year ago, now comprises hundreds of interlinked blogs and tens of the thousands of followers who within a matter of a few weeks collected 220,000 petition signatures-and more than $130,000 in donations for legal fees-in support of six black Jena teenagers who are being prosecuted on felony battery charges for beating a white student.
These days, bloggers occupy a passing lane on the information highway and it seems completely expected. Candidates and political parties court digital coverage as much as they seek that of mainstream media. But it wasn't always so. Just think about how different things were just one year ago. Jena 6 - Where Are they Now? Jesse Ray Beard The youngest defendant in the Jena Six case, he was 14 at the time of the events, is using his share of money donated for defense attorneys to attend Canterbury School in New Milford, Conn., a private boarding school with a focus on college preparation. He is a junior this year. Following probation, Beard left Jena to live with an attorney in Westchester, New York where he thrived in the new, more structured environment. Robert Bailey Robert Bailey was the young man first assaulted by other attendees of a predominately white party on December 1, 2006. Many saw that attack as an accelerant to the tensions connected with the assault that would later occur on Justin Barker – although Justin Barker had nothing to do with Bailey's assault. When the police arrived, Bailey and his black classmate were told to "go back to your side of town." Bailey later caused an uproar when he put pictures of himself covered in and eating money, presumably money donated by average people all over the world to help pay legal costs, up on his MySpace page. According to his coach, he has gotten his act together and now attends high school at Shaw High School in Columbus, Georgia, where he has been granted an extra year's eligibility to play football. Mychal Bell Bell is the only member of the 'Jena 6' to stand trial. Bell pleaded guilty to juvenile charges of second-degree battery in December and is expected to testify against other members of the 'Jena 6' in upcoming trials. Bell admitted that he did in fact assault Justin Barker while speaking to CNN in August. He was denied a chance to play his senior year of high school football in August at Carroll High School in Monroe, La. Bell missed his last year of football eligibility because he was in jail. Carwin Jones Jones and Bryant R. Purvis helped present the Video of the Year award on Black Entertainment Television's Hip-Hop Awards during the October awards show. His charges were reduced at his arraignment to aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to commit the same. Jones was arrested May 10, 2008, and charged with misdemeanor battery in connection with a fight that involved baseball bats. Jones said he has been constantly targeted and intimidated at his new school and that the incident that day "hit a nerve" and he reacted. Bryant Purvis Purvis now lives in Carrollton, Texas and was arrested on February 7, 2008 for an assault causing bodily injury on a fellow high school student. Police say Purvis walked up to another student from behind, grabbed his neck with one hand, choked him and pushed his head into a bench. Theo Shaw Last spring, Shaw was 2 credits away from earning his high school diploma. Both Malcolm Shaw, Theo's brother who police did not initially name as an attacker in the case, and Theo have now been named in the civil suit by Justin Barker's family. Justin Barker According to USA Today, Barker and his family have filed a civil lawsuit against the 'Jena 6' parents, the adult teens, an additional student and the local school board. Justin Barker and his parents, David and Kelli, allege in the suit that seven Jena High School students attacked Justin on Dec. 4, 2006, as he left the school gym. The suit names the attackers as the "Jena Six" students - Bell, Bryant Purvis, Robert Bailey Jr., Carwin Jones, Theo Shaw and a juvenile - as well as a second juvenile. District Attorney Reed Walters The D.A. who first charged the Jena 6 recently made an appeal in the removal a judge in the "Jena Six" case. Walters objected to the removal of the Judge J.P. Mauffray Jr. who admitted to using questionable remarks in the case, including calling the teens "troublemakers" and "a violent bunch." March Noose Instigator Jeremiah Munsen, a Louisiana teenager who hung nooses off the back of his truck to intimidate Jena Six demonstrators is serving four months in prison for interfering with the march. He was initially charged with "inciting a riot." What do you think a year later?
Well i picked up my Obama/Biden button a couple weeks ago and i pretty religiously wear it everywhere I go, even poking holes in my finer duds. This little button elicits so many smiles in my travels. Currently underemployed, I spend a great deal of time in the WorkSource office in Walla Walla. I am talking to other people like me, who have little or no work, who can barely afford to get to the unemployment office because of the cost of gas. Real people. Everyday people. But many of them see my button and smile.
Of course Dayton being red-necky as it is I have gotten a, "What does that say? Oh, I thought it said Obama bin Laden!" But I can be in the Doctor's office and hear the doctor tell me of her 7 year old nephew who says, "Obama is MY president!" Or I get people who ask me where they can register to vote. I believe I will just go get some voter registration forms to carry around in my bag actually. Also people want to know where they can get one of these nifty little buttons.
Well I had to pay a buck for mine at the Democratic headquarters, and for another buck I got my friend a Latinos for Obama button. MoveOn.com has been moving really slow on delivering my "free" button, so I did take matters into my own hands. I encourage every democrat to wear something even if a non-partisan button that says 'vote or pay' or 'vote or die.' I got a little bit of money today and as much as I want to go to the movies, I think I will buy an Obama T-Shirt instead. Represent yourself, represent change!
Christmas in August!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a pick by McCain! This is the most obvious "political" pick ever! The thought of this lady being THAT close to being Commander-in-Chief is scary! If McCain wanted to do this, he should have picked Condi Rice. She has the credentials to be VP. This was a pick out of fear. They knew they needed to combat that amazing speech last night from Barack. This election is going to be very telling. We are going to see how smart America really is. If that ticket for the R's really wins.....I have to question the intelligence level of our nation. If people are that scared of Barack because he does not look like the guys on the dollar bills and has a funny name...we deserve everything we get.
Barack Obama has the vision necessary to be Commander-in-Chief. So does Joe Biden...really to be honest, McCain is qualified too! But Palin! Really!?!?!? I have read 5 Bio's of her on the news in the last 2 hours and I have come to a few conclusions on why she was picked.
1.) She is a Hockey Mom w/ 5 Kids. I heard more people talking about this today than any type of legitimate ideas or policy plans. That must mean she can be leader of the free world right?!!?!?!
2.) She is middle class; she has those 5 kids and her husband by her side. The McCain people figure that since she has one house, she can balance the ticket with McCain's 7!
She has no foreign policy cred at all! She is even under investigation in her own state for criminal activity! Give me a break!
I had to vent a bit. I am sorry about that. But McCain and company really don't think very high of the American people in terms of how smart we are. Like I said at the top, we get a chance to prove that they are wrong. If they win....maybe they are right about their opinion's of our intelligence.
P.S I wish I could have been at that stadium last night. What a show!
What a selection! He is the best possible pick for our guy and it is great to see that the Obama people agree. Now is the time for all of us to rally together and get going. I am listening to Obama right now talking about Biden and I keep thinking of the night Barack announced at the same location all those months ago. It caused me to come to this site and create this group and attempt to rally the people of Walla Walla around the cause for change. I even went out on a canvas on my own and hit 20 houses. From there I moved to Pullman to finish my education but I still want to do my part in this campaign in Walla Walla. I had a letter put in the paper 2 days before the caucus in Febuary to highlight this point. Nancy M. is my co-leader in this group, and she has been doing a great job. The only thing I ask today is that all of us communicate more. I do not want to be left behind in the group. I will do whatever is necessary. Everyone knows what my ideas are, we need to canvas, phone bank, and get our building downtown set up. It is up to us to turn Walla Walla blue. I hope everyone can answer this post and we can set things up here as we head down the stretch.
Folks, I hope we can work together. Talk to me, and lets make something happen.
Wow!! What an education it was to attend the State Conventin in Spokane this past week-end. I hurried home late Saturday night for the Multi-Cultural Arts Festival/Diversity Day in the park yesterdau, so I'm still catching my breath.
The convention was a wonderful experience. There were hospitality suites for both candidtaes, with lots of cross-pollination - it's amazing how effective partying together is at breaking down bariers! There were also opportunites to meet with other Movement for Cahnge folks from across the state, which was really great. The down-ticket candidates were there and it was so nice to spend a few days with people who were all like-minded. Also, our very own Kathy Amarasinghe made it to the final voting for At Large delegate. There were several hundred candidates and only 7 women were chosen to go, so it was a great honor and a wonderful reflection on Kathy to make it that far!
We have lots of work ahead of us this summer and fall, but I think we have put Walla Walla on the state party map. Dwight Pelz, chairman of the state party, has said that he would come down for a visit and Kath A reports that we may have a visit from Governor Gregoire as well. In addition, the woman who is chairing the Coordinated Campaign for Washington state is from Milton-Freewater, so she is very excited about working with us, as well.
In the short-term, we have the Change for Unity event on the 28th at Margie's house. Please reach out to any Hillary supporters, independents and Republicans you know who might be willing to come. It is just a "getting to know oor candidate and one another" dessert and should be lots of fun. Also, don't forget to put the 4th of July in the Park on your calendar. We'll have a booth there again.
Here's a link to a YouTube video taken at the end of the Movement for Change rally held at the convention at lunchtime on Saturday - enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q93Gsg6WCg8
Wow! It has been quite a ride these past few weeks! We are busy getting ready for the State Democratic Convention in Spokane this weekend and starting our efforts for the general election.
There is a great base of supporters and volunteers here in Walla Walla. Thank you to all who has signed up on the list serv. We will be sending out information as things develop. One of the things we'll want to know is what strengths we have in the group, so be thinking about how you feel you can best contribute toward ensuring that Barack Obama is our next President!
We have 'Walla Walla for OBAMA' buttons that will be available for $1 each at the Diversity Day event, as well as other upcoming community functions. The Democratic office will open downtown (where we had the rally in April) next month. Until then, Beth Call has supplies from the Obama store at her house. More will become available as we move into the summer. If there is interest, we will do another printing of the Wallla Walla for Obama yard signs. So, let me know if you are interested.
It's going to be a great year! I'll have updates to post after the convention.
Moving forward, we are going to need to be out in front of the McCain people in Walla Walla. We are very much the underdogs against McCain in this county. Nancy is our new administrator and has been doing unbelieveable things in the area to get things going. We have a building promised to us downtown that will be the office for the democrats this fall. It is thanks to Nancy and the other Rick (since it's his building) :D
There are a few of you who have been working with Nancy but we all have not been able to hook up yet. I will be at the festivities we are conducting on Fathers day at the festival. I am hoping to use this time to meet everyone and so we can all share ideas. I am going to be involved in this campaign as much as I can. Nancy is very invovled and is going to be running things Day to day as we progress. I am in Pullman going to school so my time is limited in Walla Walla. However, it is still home and I still am going to have an active role in the decision making process moving forward. I will also be working with the folks here in Pullman. I am really happy about the way things have gone so far. We have a lot of help and a lot of people involved through this site, now we have to all take the next step and meet up ( I know a few of you have, but not everyone). This event on Fathers day will be perfect for exactly that. Once we get our office downtown, it will be even easier.
I hope all of you will get back with me and just share your thoughts. I really want things to get big in Walla Walla. I know we can do it.
Fired UP! Ready to go!
It looks like our guy is going to win part one of this fun ride and beat Sen. Clinton. The question now is...what do we do next? I have been making phone calls thoughout the primary season, participated in a walk for change event last summer, and got a letter requesting support for Obama the day before the Washington caucus. Going forward, what can we do to further support our guy in the general? For the Walla Walla group, I know a few of you have met to make sure our delegates don't switch to Clinton. That was a great idea. What should we do to help get the word out in Walla Walla. My personal goal for the election is to turn Walla Walla county blue. Door to door, phone banking and flyers will help. If we can all chip in money and perhaps buy some of those yard signs and offer them free of charge to people who will put them out...that would be a great way for people to see Obama out in force. For my Cougs, I am not in a position of leadership with your group, however, I will be in Pullman next fall through the election so whatever plans you guys have (like the ones I mentioned above) I am all for.
Unless things change, Obama will win Washington. If this state can vote for a dork like Kerry, Obama has nothing to worry about! lol On a bigger front, phone banking to battleground states like OH and FL will be important. Setting up a phone bank would be a great way after the convention to get things going. I am free to go to Walla Walla from Pullman Thursday night through Monday night untill August, then it will have to be more planned out as to when I can come in. I think a great start to things would be if I could get some responses from you fine folks just to know you are out there and are interested. People from out of the Walla Walla area, any ideas?
A goal of turning WW county blue would be our way of making our mark on the 2008 election. I think it is something we should all chase.
Thanks!
Rick Evans
Chairman WW 4 Obama
Wow !! We just got back from seeing Barack at the Town Hall in Pendleton, OR. It is amazing that he had any energy left for us after the huge rally in Portland, but he did not disappoint us!
Eastern Oregon and Washington are VERY red and very rural. As such, we have been written off by Democratic campaigns for decades. What a gift this was to us!!
Several of us were just back from our Congressional District caucus in Spokane on Saturday. What a weekend! Another delegate and I were even interviewed while we waited for the doors to open in Pendleton. We got our 5 seconds of fame on the nightly news broadcast for KNDU in Richland, Washington. :-)
Here are some pictures from the event:
http://flickr.com/photos/26706989@N03/sets/72157605135996023/
http://flickr.com/photos/26706989@N03/sets/72157605140120226/
Aristotle in his treatise on Rhetoric stated that in order for a message to be effective, one has to "bring before the eyes." That is, you have to give a vivid picture of whatever you are trying to say to the listener. This will be more convincing than just stating something; give examples, describe how those examples look, smell, feel.
I've been trying to leave off watching the continuing primary battle and focus instead on my massive amount of school work. I still get sucked into the news and process, every time we get close to a contest that could be decisive for Barack.
I've said in a previous post that I was disappointed by the Clintonian tactics used against Obama. Lately the two issues that have had some traction are the Rev. Wright controversy and the fallacy that Obama is an elitist. The Rev. Wright controversy is a very hard issue to deal with, especially with the Rev. running around digging a deeper hole for Obama to climb out of. Rev. Wright has a huge ego. The other issue needs to be dealt with by examples. Obama needs to start giving examples of hard times in his life, times when he was poor, times when he was worried, times when he didn't know how to go on. If he spells out some of the hardships he has overcome, then I think people will soften and stop believing the elitist charge.
I hope Barack win's Indian and North Carolina, so that we can start our work against John McCain.
Marcus
The Garrison cafeteria was packed to overflowing! Walla Walla County went for Obama 72% to Hillary's 28%. Could there have been over 1,000 caucusers? What a great couple of hours. I can't describe how satisfying and how heartening being part of this is. Also, happy to report my son and my brother in-law were both elected delegates.
Time to settle in and watch the La. results unfold.
Go Obama!
My letter to the Walla Walla U.B. Let me know what you think!
With Washington’s caucus right around the corner (Saturday-1pm at Garrison) Washington State could have a major role in selecting the next President of the United States. On the Republican side of the ticket, the race is pretty much over as John McCain should win their nomination. That leaves the Democratic ticket still to be decided. The choices are Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton. However in my view, there is no choice. Barack Obama is the best candidate and would make the best President. I feel that it’s a shame we are spending so much money on a war that should have never been authorized and should have never been waged while 46 million people in this country, our country, don’t have health care, Barack Obama feels the same way. I feel it is a shame that someone can work full time at the local Wal-Mart and still need food stamps, so does Barack Obama. I feel that it is important to be able to not only lead on day one in the oval office, but to have the judgment to be right on day one in the oval office. That person is Barack Obama, not Sen. Clinton. Some question his experience. To that I answer... Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld had a lot of experience in Washington politics and we know how that turned out.
The decision is clear. Sen. Barack Obama is the only candidate who can beat John McCain. Sen. Clinton will unite the republicans and bring us a candidate in Sen. McCain who pledges a “100 year” presence in Iraq if necessary. We can not have that. I am asking you to support Barack Obama on Saturday and to tell the country and the world that it is “Time to turn the page”.
Thank you
Richard G. Evans
