The country is about to elect it's first African American president. It's a historical moment
The image of an African American as the leader of the US will bring deep social changes to our country. His presidency will be a subtle reminder to all of us that color has no correlation with intellect. He will be a role model for the African American youth, some who will most likely follow in his footsteps. His presidency will redefine and expand the meaning of being a US American, to include more deeply the African American culture
Nevertheless, amidst this historical time, we are leaving out a large constituency. Hispanics are part of this country’s mix and they are shaping the direction of the US. However, mainstream media does not show this fact, just like they failed to showcase the political voice of African Americans for many decades. There is a lag from when the media chooses to showcase an image of our country to what is really happening. African Americans have been part of our countries’ political make up for many decades, but I feel it’s until recently that the media began to project this fact. Hispanics are currently part of this country’s political make-up but this fact is not being presented to the public.
Must 30 or 50 years pass for the media to recognize the political voice of Latinos and just then finally showcase this fact to the world?
It's a momentous time in the US. The possibility that Barack Obama will be the first African American president in US history seems more and more likely as time passes. His campaign exudes a sense of inevitable victory...like it's destined to win. I feel the media has picked up on this. It seems there are more African American commentators are on TV and the the media is giving African Americans more equitable time on TV to voice their opinions. It’s fascinating to watch this happen, however this should have occurred many years ago.
The US is no longer the black and white world, literally and figuratively, that existed 100 years ago. Today, Latinos are a big part of this mix. Latinos will, in the near future, become the majority of the minorities. English no longer holds a monopoly on the means of communication; Spanish has become a fierce competitor in the US. The growing use of bi-lingual education is testament to this fact. Favorite fastfoods such as pizza, hotdogs and burgers are now no longer the number one choice. It's now Mexican and other Hispanic foods that are seducing the palates of many around the US. We are now becoming "green" people a long past tradition of our Latin American "Indian" ancestors. I hope an Obama presidency will lead the country to recognize this reality and thus show the world that the US is more than just a black and white world.
My son and I were talking politics one night, discussing Barack Obama’s campaign for President, when he revealed that he had broken up with his girlfriend. It was pretty painful for him, his first relationship that seemed to have depth and serious potential, touching on love. They’re only 21, barely at the beginning of their life journeys, and there is so much more to learn. I advised him that this blow was just one of life’s lessons: Youth and the confusing interplay of love and lust, passion and compassion, friendship and companionship. They had been close for only a few months, but at their age time is fleeting and emotions run high. My suggestion was that this experience would help him grow. Always in the background of a new relationship is the echo of a hope that this is real, serious, and will last forever. Youth is impatient for forever, not realizing that life will be full of brief encounters, with many disappointments and surprising satisfaction.We talk politics fairly often. He's been pursuing an English major with a minor in political science and he has some pretty strong opinions, especially on international affairs. We’re both big Obama fans, and on this night the subject was Barack’s struggle for acceptance among voters who are ready to believe the worst about him. Our candidate often declares his wholehearted love and admiration for America and his readiness to take on the awesome responsibility of leadership. Yet his critics paint him as shallow and pretentious at best, traitorous at worst, sowing the suspicion that he doesn’t really honor America. Our greatest frustration with this campaign is the ease in which Barack Obama is cast as alien and suspect. How many times does he have to loudly, bluntly declare, “This is the greatest nation on Earth; nowhere else could a story like mine even be possible”, “This country is not perfect, but it is perfectible”, “It’s not about me; it’s about us; together, we can solve the momentous problems that we face”, before the mass of Americans take him at his word? The mere hint that he has a secret intent or hidden motive injures him. As in any courtship, whispers of doubt can be deadly.My son needs conversation above the level of gossip and trivia, and his girlfriend was good for that. But more then that, he says the attraction was based on the idea that they could help each other achieve their respective dreams. Yang and Yin. What one lacks, the other provides. Like Obama’s petition to American voters, my son tried to convince her that, together, they could achieve great things. But, as he came to learn, suspicion can destroy a budding relationship. I tried to encourage him by pointing out that his attitude showed a distinct level of maturity. It’s frustrating, I told him, but love is not the initial goal. It’s the final one. The more immediate task in any relationship is the establishment of trust, each convincing the other that vulnerability will never be taken advantage of. If there’s a wound, bandage it. If there’s an offense, forgive it. If there’s a fear, set it aside…. Obama’s critics insist that he’s a fake and a poser, unworthy of America’s affection. He’s a self-important egoist, they say, who’s only in this for the sake of power and prestige; that it’s really only about him. Entire books are published with the aim of impugning his character from every angle. They don’t want him to win us over because they say his intentions are bad, even suggesting he plans betrayal. His goal is not the nation’s welfare, but her destruction. Some, of course, subtly suggest that a person of his complexion simply shouldn’t be allowed into the family. He’s not “one of us”.My son discovered that his attempts to understand and appreciate his girl’s strengths and wishes were rejected out of suspicion for their motives. The more he informed himself in the areas that interested her, the more she drew back. As he tried to get close to her feelings, and reveal his own, she became guarded. He says she worries that she’s incapable of intimacy, and feels awkward in social situations. He’s sociable, open with his emotions, and he wanted to help her out of her shell. There was a fear to be overcome, and he thought he could help her beat it. But he couldn’t gain her trust and his first brush with love came to an end. I told him not to be discouraged. There will be others, perhaps even another opportunity with this young lady who briefly captured his heart.This may not be true for America, however. Obama’s candidacy might be her best opportunity to break from the fears that hold her back. Reservations are justified, of course. He is, after all, just a man, a human being with the flaws and weaknesses of any human being. But the nobility of his manner and his aspirations for this great nation are worthy of acceptance. Obama’s unique quality is his willingness to address the American electorate as a mature audience. It can’t be overlooked that a candidate of his caliber doesn’t come along often. Like the girl my son was courting, it will be necessary for America to set aside her fears if this relationship is to bloom.Barack Obama is wooing America. He says he loves and respects her right down to the core of his soul. The guy doesn’t claim to be perfect; he only claims to care. He seeks a partnership where everyone wins in the struggle for social progress. He’s willing and able, he says, to lead her out of the well of doubt and insecurity, to help her be the best she can be.It’s something of a consensus in world and national opinion that the leadership blunders and misshapen policies of the last eight years, and the divisive, deceitful political methodology of the last 40, has made a mockery of American ideals. From pre-emptive war and the acceptance of torture to the damaging excesses of deregulation, our country is said to be going in the wrong direction. A fine example is the observation from Obama’s opponent that, “In the 21st Century, countries don’t invade other countries”. This doesn’t jibe well with Senator McCain’s support for the invasion of Iraq, but it should be noted that this is one of the unvoiced goals of the liberal democracy evolving from our Constitution: Abolishing the scourge of war. It’s a civilized idea, hardly attainable in the short run, but which abides at the heart of a political system founded on “certain inalienable rights”. It's one of the many inherent ideals of a government “of the People, by the People, and for the People”.The United States has a special destiny in human affairs, carrying the torch of “Liberty and Justice for All” into the future. Perhaps the responsibility of living up to that destiny is what we fear. Denouncing torture and refusing to take part supposedly makes us vulnerable. Restrictions on corporate enterprise supposedly make us weak. I say the failure of law to protect the powerless from the potential depredations of government and commerce is far worse. It may take centuries to find the right balance in order to attain such idealistic goals, but ABANDONING THEM IS NOT AN OPTION.Obama partisans have been characterized lately as “love struck teenagers”, enamored of a shallow celebrity. But this is not love for most of us, at least not yet. It is merely hope that America can chose a leader who will bring her through a crisis of confidence, as did Washington, Lincoln and FDR. Supporters might consider how this campaign is a courtship. Voters need to be convinced that this man is worthy of their trust, that he does indeed hold their best interests in his heart. If it leads to betrothal in November and “I do” in January, America, in my humble opinion, will have made a wise choice. Judging from Obama’s obvious show of intellectual heft and tactical smarts, we can hope that the issue from such a union will, over the years, include a renaissance of reason, spiritual maturity and peace in the household.It has been famously argued that no one can be fully prepared for the awesome task of the American Presidency. The same might be said of the intimacy of marriage. As with any relationship, issues have to be worked through. Nothing is easy. Often, it just gets harder.Maybe, like my son, I’m succumbing here to youthful idealism, anticipating more than I should. Of course it’s foolish to bet all on such an outcome in a world full of deceit, but we should not be blind to persons of high ideals. America is a young country in many ways, and Barack Obama has the potential to be a superb leader. Nevertheless, since I’m no youth, I’ll know to expect many disappointments and surprising satisfaction.
Source: USA Today
SNIP:
1. True believers: 30% of the electorate
Nearly one-third of those surveyed could be called the true believers of this campaign.
They're excited about the election, sure of their choice and unfavorably inclined toward the other guy. They see the stakes as high: Two-thirds say the election will make a great deal of difference to them and their families, the most of any voter group. Eight of 10 feel more enthusiastic than usual about voting this year.
John McCain has some support among this group of the year's most intense voters, but Barack Obama has more. By 2-1, such voters back the Democrat.
This group includes the highest percentage of women, African Americans and liberals — the sort of voters who fueled record turnout in a string of Democratic primaries this year. They express the most concern that McCain will pursue policies similar to those of President Bush, and they give the former Navy fighter pilot the lowest rating as a potential commander in chief.
"I know who I'm going to vote for," Renee Prigmore-Onwu, an Obama supporter from Nashville, says firmly. She works as a child care provider. Her biggest issue is the struggle to make ends meet for her and her three children, ages 16, 11 and 9. "Gas prices plus the cost of food — everything's going up except wages," she says.
Prigmore-Onwu, 46, has watched the campaign closely, supporting New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton during the Democratic primaries but now loyal to Obama.
"A black man running for president — this has been a long time coming," she says.
"Then of course Hillary Clinton being a woman as well — it made history."
2. Fired up & favorable: 14% of the electorate
Like the "true believers," voters in the second group are overwhelmingly more enthusiastic than usual about voting. Unlike the first group, though, nearly all of them view McCain and Obama favorably.
Members of this group have been the face of Obama's primary campaign: They have the lowest average age — a third are younger than 35 — and the highest average income. More of them have a college education than any other group.
They're confident in the ability of either candidate to handle the Oval Office — the least likely to worry about whether Obama has enough experience to be president, for instance, and the most likely to rate both Obama and McCain as capable of serving as commander in chief.
That would seem to make them a swing group, but voters in this category say their minds are settled. By nearly 2-1, they support Obama.
Daniel Seagull, 33, a middle-school science teacher from South Glastonbury, Conn., admires McCain for his days as a Republican maverick.
"You knew where he stood and if you didn't like it, too bad," he says. He's solidly for Obama, though, drawn by a message during the primaries that Seagull shorthands as " 'change, change, change' and 'yes we can.' "
In recent weeks, he's been disappointed in each candidate. "It's become the same old story that you see in every election, with the candidates attacking each other and 'blah, blah, blah,' " he says, fretting Obama has become a "play-it-safe" candidate.
Even so, Seagull has a suggestion if Obama becomes president. "Idealistically, if we took one day's worth of spending on the Iraq war and put it toward a Manhattan Project for alternative energy, I would think we could get pretty far," he says.
3. Firmly decided: 12% of the electorate
In a year when many Democrats are keyed up and Republicans discouraged, this group isn't the norm. Nearly eight in 10 say their level of enthusiasm about voting is "about the same as usual." A small fraction of any other group reports seeing this year's campaign as business as usual.
These voters tend to have higher incomes and be older than the average, and they include the highest percentage of registered voters. More than a third hold post-graduate degrees.
Although they are closely divided — 50% for McCain, 48% for Obama — few swing voters are in this group. Almost all of them say they have made up their minds about their vote.
Diana Sparklin's choice is McCain, though she's not convinced he'll succeed enough to win a second term, assuming he manages to win a first. "I feel safer" with the Arizona senator, she says. "I feel he's older and more experienced, and he has some war experience background."
Sparklin, 69, retired to Lady Lake in central Florida 3½ years ago after working as a specialist on foreign patent applications for a law firm in Wilmington, Del. For her, global issues such as climate change, turmoil in Africa and conflict in the Middle East are major concerns.
Obama's relative lack of experience and his association with Jeremiah Wright, whose sermons blasting the United States for racism caused controversy, give her pause. "You just don't separate on a verbal basis" from a longtime pastor, she says of Obama. "I'm afraid he has taken (Wright's views) in his mind."
4. Up for grabs: 18% of the electorate
These voters are squarely in the middle. They tend to have favorable views of both candidates and are the most likely to say either would make a good president, but they aren't yet settled in their choice. They aren't paying as much attention to the campaign as the most engaged voters in the first two groups, but they're also not as disenchanted as those in the last two groups.
One in four of those in this group say they're undecided about whom to support, and the rest say they might change their mind before Election Day.
This battleground group has a GOP tilt. It includes the highest percentage of whites of any group and more of those who attend church every week. McCain needs to make major inroads with them to offset Obama's edge among other voters.
Stephanie Clemens cast her first presidential vote for Bush in 2004. This year, the 23-year-old student from Chico, Calif., sees a lot to like in both contenders. McCain "has strong leadership and he seems like an approachable person," she says. She admires Obama's idea of "a change, something different." She can't think of anything she doesn't like about either one.
She does have definite views about which issues matter most to her. She's studying at California State University-Chico and considering a career in human resources management or event planning. "College tuition, health care, the economy, gas prices," she says, ticking them off. "These are things that affect my life."
5. Skeptical & downbeat: 12% of the electorate
The election's most downbeat voters are the least enthusiastic about voting and skeptical about whether the election will make a difference for them and their families. They give Bush his lowest approval rating of any group.
They aren't excited about the contenders to succeed the president, either. Four in 10 haven't decided whom to support, by far the largest of any group, and the rest are open to changing their minds.
Voters in this group are older than average and the least likely to have a college education. It includes the highest percentage of those who live in small towns and rural areas.
They favor McCain over Obama by 11 percentage points, but can he persuade more of them to support him — and then turn out to vote?
Joe Heiser, 49, a steelworker from Pittsburgh and an independent, has qualms about both candidates. McCain "might be a little bit too old" for the job, he worries. Obama "has more passion as to what he's trying to achieve," but Heiser wonders whether he'll be able to deliver on his promises. Most politicians don't, he says.
Heiser's biggest concerns are economic, "health care for the elderly and the way things are rising in costs." He's concerned about securing U.S. borders and resolving the Iraq war. His expectations that anything will change are low, however, one reason he questions whether it really matters who wins.
"I'm not too excited about it," he says. "It turns out to be the same, no matter who is in there."
6. Decided but dissatisfied: 16% of the electorate
Don't tell voters in this group that elections matter: Not one of them says the campaign outcome will make much difference to them or their families. By 2-1, they are less enthusiastic than usual about voting. Still, in contrast to the previous "skeptical and downbeat" group, all of these voters say their minds are firmly made up.
They include the highest percentage of conservatives and Republicans of any group, and they give Bush his highest job-approval rating, albeit still just 37%. This group is the least likely to see the Iraq war as a mistake, although 51% say that it was.
That underscores a quandary for McCain. The groups that clearly favor the Arizona senator are the two final ones. One gives Bush his highest rating, the other his lowest. One group has the fewest members who say invading Iraq was a mistake; the other has the most. Bridging that divide and building support from both groups could be a challenge, especially when it comes to calibrating how closely to embrace Bush.
National security concerns drive the "decided but dissatisfied" voters. It is the only group in which a majority favors a candidate whose strength is protecting the country from terrorism rather than fixing the economy, and the only group in which a majority doubts Obama can handle the responsibilities of commander in chief. This group is McCain's base, the only one in which his support tops 50%.
David McLen, 53, from a town north of Houston called Spring, admires McCain's military service but worries that he's not really a conservative. Obama, though, is "to the left of me on just about everything," says McLen, who works in the oil business, verifying land and mineral claims before drilling begins.
He supports more domestic exploration of oil, is concerned about the economy and illegal immigration and calls security issues "very important," though he's come to question the war. "What are we doing there, and when will we leave?" he asks.
In the Republican primaries, McLen preferred nearly every GOP presidential contender over McCain. He voted for former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney in the Texas primary, liked former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and was intrigued by some of what Texas Rep. Ron Paul had to say.
"I don't think either of these candidates are evil," McLen says of McCain and Obama, "but to use the cliché, I'm choosing the lesser of two evils."
I thought it interesting that Senator McCain has offered a challenge to Senator Obama to jointly visit Iraq before the election.
I believe Senator Obama should offer a challenge to Senator McCain to jointly pass a resolution in the Senate, or whatever might be needed, to place on the November ballot an "Up or Down Vote" by the electorate to immediately end and withdraw our troops from Iraq.
How could Senator McCain be opposed to the American people deciding how our country really feels about this war? So far, it has only been through polls.
What with all the press coverage that Clinton is managing to milk out of winning (with a margin that shrunk smaller by the week) a state primary that everyone concedes she was always supposed to win, it's been a tough week to turn on the TV.
So, lest you haven't heard the good news . . .
Senator Obama announced the support of three more superdelegates in the last two days.
And this from The New Republic: Click here: Cheer Up, Democrats!
Dear Senator Clinton,
As a young Independent voter living in the Presidential election swing state of Wisconsin, I feel obligated to give you that 3 A.M. emergency call that the establishment of the Democratic Party is afraid to make.
I’m sorry to inform you, but contrary to the narrative that is being spun by your campaign and being accepted by the public at-large, you did not win the primary elections held in Rhode Island, Texas and Ohio. The Republican nominee for President, Senator John McCain, and the mainstream media won in a landslide.
The Democratic electorate is cracking and dividing every day that this nomination process continues. In order for a Democrat to have any chance of defeating John McCain in November, the healing process must begin immediately to salvage what remains of this electorate that has turned out record money and votes thus far. This news may come as a shock to you, but you, and only you, have the power to start this process and prevent further decimation of the electorate.
Just like the war in Iraq, you have two options and neither one is good:
Option 1: Explain to the American people how you intend to win the Democratic nomination without further destroying the 2008 Democratic electorate that you will need to be strong and united to win in November.
Option 2: Concede the race to Senator Barak Obama with grace.
Is it possible the super delegates holding off with their vote are really republicans? I have held off using the race card, but something is just not right in this election.
I find it odd that so many super delegates are holding off backing either Obama or Clinton. The reasoning, we are told, is they are waiting to see who the electorate chooses. If that's the case, the electorate has selected Obama.
For years, I have questioned whether some of our democratic politicians are, in fact, really democrats. Take Joe Liebermann. He is really a republican in democrat clothing. There are others. It's no secret that politicians jump ship to the other winning side when their numbers are down. This makes it difficult for the electorate to really know who they can believe. Which is why it is so important to really look into what these candidates stand for.
Until Obama arrived, I've had little faith in the honesty and motives in the majority of politicians. Our country has been raped by greedy politicians, big business and a complicit media. As this presidential race continues, I am ready to throw in the towel and declare the super delegates running foul along with the Clinton campaign to move the target to suit them.
Also, it is highly questionable the DNC Chairman, Howard Dean, has not put a stop to the sleazy campaign tactics of Clinton. When we FINALLY get a candidate who runs a clean campaign, is clearly the front runner, yet everything seems to be done to prevent Obama from getting the nomination.
With the games being played against our fair-playing, highly qualified candidate - Barack Obama - I refuse to vote should Clinton be the nominee...and I will go back to my apathethic shell and watch the country go down in flames...because I don't believe the country can wield control from the fingers of the corrupt elite and do what's best for Americans and the country.
I know we’re two years outside of an election, but what we do now will drastically affect the future. We can change everything starting right now.
Many of us are disillusioned with the current political system. It’s dirty, and disgusting, rife with scandal and special interests, plagued by minor social issues and filled with empty sound-bytes. Also, election day sometimes ends with the conclusion that voting was pointless, because in the end your voice was lost in the crowd and your votes didn’t really count anyways.
I assure you, though, that your vote can matter, and your voice can be heard. I assure you that changing the world is possible if you care enough about changing it.
I’ve followed him closely for over two years, and at this point I feel that Barack Obama is the best leader out of the field of current and likely candidates. We are two years outside of an election, though, and a lot can happen in two years. So please be vigilant with me, and make your own determination about who can best lead our generation into the next decade. Follow no one blindly. Be intelligent. Be cautious. And be audacious enough to believe that you can make a difference. Make a decision about how you will change the world when you vote on November 4, 2008.
Here are a few tools to help you make a decision. These will help everyone learn about all of the candidate. We must be an educated electorate. The biggest weapon we have is information.
On The Issues-- Barack Obama
Wikipedia-- Barack Obama
Hillary Clinton's Campaign Headquarters
John Edwards' Campaign Headquarters
John McCain's Campaign Headquarters
Rudy Giuliani's Campaign Headquarters
