Republican strategist Kevin Madden just said on MSNBC that what Sarah Palin did in last night's debate is return to the "authentic" Sarah Palin that "people were first introduced to at the Republican Convention", and that having done this she could return to the campaign trail as an asset for the remaining weeks.
Huh?
The "authentic" Sarah is the one that has her statements written for her, rather than the Sarah who has to come up with her own answers in interviews as she did with Katie Couric and Charlie Gibson?
It is well known that Palin's speech for the convention was scripted for her, and well-rehearsed. If not, then we should rightfully demand her to answer for the presence of quotes in her speech that were taken from a fascist writer who had openly called for the assassination of Robert Kennedy. That Palin's answers in the debate were also scripted for her was almost equally apparent, since her statements were delivered with classic signs of having been memorized statements on topics, and were of course crafted in the weeks of debate preparation she underwent with McCain and Bush advisors. Less smooth were the debate moments where she had to craft transitional phrases to attach the prepared statements to one another. The delivery of prepared statements was no doubt the strategy embodied in her claim that she "might not answer the questions as asked by the moderator" but wanted to talk directly to the American public.
It offends me as someone who has spent some time thinking about the ethics of "authenticity" as advanced by existentialists, Charles Taylor (the philosopher, not the dictator), and numerous other thinkers in moral history, that "authenticity" is being ascribed to the least authentic moments of Palin's public showing. Her moments of what rational people (as opposed to campaign strategists) would call "authenticity"--responses in impromtu settings where all she can draw on is her own mind and personality--are written off as the fake aberrations, deviations from the "authentic" identity conveyed in her reading of sentences crafted for Palin by someone else.
This is nothing short of the "identity" equivalent of saying that "the false is the true". Perhaps I'm a little oversensitive since I am currently reading a paper on Plato's dialogue, "The Sophist", but the substitution of illusion for reality by the McCain campaign has, to my mind, now been made complete. Not only are statements to be twisted into "truth" despite their obvious, established, verified, proven falsehood, but identity itself is now most authentic when in fact most driven by the thinking of other people. Does this betoken simply the evacuation of rational criteria by politics? Is this a sad sexism, where a woman concedes the definition of her authentic being to the male power-brokers who script her public persona? Is it the first salvo in the authoritarian/totalitarian mind-control of a McCain/Palin administration? Who knows? The twisting of truth and identity in such a profound way opens doors to wild speculations like the latter.
Perhaps the "authentic/scripted" Sarah Palin should change her name to "Haras Nilap".
Although it’s hard to believe that there is anyone living in this country for the last 8 years that isn’t ready for a big change I fear that there are still some that think a McCain/Palin presidency is a change.
At one time I actually thought that if I had to vote for a republican McCain may not be a bad choice. But this McCain is not the man he once appeared to be.
This explains in short order why so many of us support Senator Obama:
This is a great day for those of us who have been fighting for Senator Obama! I'm a good example of why he'll win in November. I'm the least typical Obama supporter. And there are many more like me.I cut my political teeth in the seventies through the early eighties as an organizer in the antiabortion religious right. I'm a fifty-five year old white man who has been a conservative most of my life. I've been a Republican activist who campaigned for McCain in 2000. I'm a big fan of the military. My son served in the Marines. If Obama can reach me he can reach anyone....As I see it our choice is between a heroic old man whose time has long past and who will perpetuate failed policy, and a brilliant, openhearted new founding father of the new post-racial, post-divided America the likes of which we have not seen....Obama touches me. He has a prophetic authenticity that reminds me of W.E.B. Du Bois' prayers that Du Bois sometimes wrote for his students. Obama also brings a touch of Billy Graham with him to the podium. His is a deeply spiritual call. And his critics that have dismissed Obama's ability to inspire as "mere words" are dead wrong.We have never needed inspiration more. And we have never needed a president to inspire the rest of the world more. Every international opinion poll shows that Obama is not only the most popular American leader, perhaps ever, but more popular than any other world leader today.
The general election will be a tough fight, but with your support, we can spread Barack's message to all Americans.
It has been said that there is nothing more dangerous than revolutions that do not carry out the postulates they themselves generate, and nothing more unfaithful than the public man who, when at the height of power, shows himself to be in disagreement with the doctrines that he sustained when he was in the political wilderness, and that had determined his ascent.
Barack Obama authentic!
No Hillary!
So much has been said about Hillary Clinton’s toughness and resilience. As I have watched her, I have been impressed by those characteristics of her nature. She doesn’t give up in a fight and I do admire that about her. Yet I do also see that that is one of her great weaknesses as well. Knowing how to continue the fight and when to continue are some of the marks of great wisdom. I did not see her exhibit great wisdom during her and Bill’s fight to refuse admitting his infidelity while President. There was a lot of toughness and legalese but not a lot of consideration for what the country was going through. And now, the methods she employs for attacking Obama also show the same toughness but not a lot of consideration for what it is doing to the Democratic Party. I would never advise her give up the fight if she wants to continue, but how you fight the big fight is of supreme importance. Should she become President, I fear that we will be put through the same treatment. She will be tough, but not considerate of the larger picture.
What I see in Obama is TRUE STRENGTH. Even when the campaign gets tough, he won't immediately do what would be politically expedient. His speech on race has been characterized as being brave and courageous. That characterization is incomplete. It was the depth of his inner strength, wisdom and trust in the American people (that they would understand a complicated talk and not just simple sound bites) at gave him the ability to be brave and courageous. He stayed true to who he was and what he believed in.
Even his recent denunciation of Rev. Wright showed this. After the National Press Conference spectacle, I expected Obama to say either nothing or to come out and thump the podium using a loud voice that would in no uncertain terms have distanced himself from the offensive comments of Rev. Wright. But he didn’t do that. He came out and expressed himself in calm, measured tones that showed, not only how deeply he was offended by Wright’s comments but also his sadness that an old friend would do such a thing. It was not a showy display of offended righteousness. Obama’s character apparently does not need to do that. Obama’s calm, measured response was real.
Authenticity means not just knowing who you are (as Clinton has stated in the past as being the source of her ability to withstand attacks) but being who you are. This means not doing the fakey photo ops that I see Clinton choreographing for herself, like the gasoline pumping thing. Obama keeps his photo ops as real as he is.
Finally, this whole fight is come down to who is more “electable.” The truth is that both candidates will have a tough fight in their hands. But I know and believe that either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton would be a far better and more competent president than McCain, who knows nothing about the economy and whose Cold War Era mentality thinks that 100 years in Iraq is the same as 100 years in Japan.
For those of you tired of the 30 sec sound bite, here's a more in-depth interview of Sen. Barack Obama done by Dan Rather. It also highlights the life on the campaign trail and what type of information the voters are acutally looking to hear and read about the candidates:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1010210691999
YES WE CAN!!
A little something here for all you dedicated Obama'ites out there to re-generate.
It's kind of fun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyhIBXNfqMA
This set of articles are about FICO, politics, endorsements, and authenticity.
FICO:
The computer room where your credit rating is determined. Need help with that? Check out Suze Orman's site!
Politics:
Update on NATO: Missile Defense and new countries to NATO?
FAA whistleblowers: from MSNBC.
Soft money: Billion Dollar Benefactors Lurking.
Recommendation for policy: Cutting spending.
Endorsements:
Carter, an implicit Obama endosement?
Authenticity:
What if the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. had lived?
Article on candidates and the perception of authenticy. For a little humor, watch the Edwards video at the top of the page!
That's it!
EMK
http://www.cyberears.com/index.php/Browse/playaudio/2795
Cate, a member of FeministsforObama, compares & contrasts Senators Obama and Clinton, and finds Clinton lacking in authenticity & courage, as well as the leadership skills the world needs now. This is PartOne only.
Please comment or email MadamaAmbi if you hear chipmunks instead of women...
madamaambi@gmail.com
Some were having difficulty getting to the speech. Here's the links for the text and the video of the 'A More Perfect Union' Speech today.
Text and video: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/18/obama-race-speech-read-t_n_92077.html
So what does Obama mean by a change in politics? I found my answer in reading the second chapter of his book, The Audacity of Hope, simply titled "Values." Wow. He even talks about people putting their time, energy, and money into what they believe (which is why I started this blog and named it "Puttin' My Money where my mouth is"), that therein lies the true test if people are being true to their values - and if politicians are being authentic, which unfortunately few are.
He explains how this has happened and how difficult it is for politicians to not follow the norm. And why "it becomes harder and harder for the public to distinguish between honest sentiment and political stagecraft... There's the fact that practice of modern politics itself seems to be value-free. Politics (and political commentary) not only allows but often rewards behavior that we would normally think of as scandalous: fabricating stories, distorting the obvious meaning of what other people say, insulting or generally questioning their motives, poking through their personal affairs in search of damaging information." (page 64, paperback version)
Sounds an awful lot like what is happening in Hillary's camp in her/their desperation to get the nomination - going from telling the public one night in a debate that she is honored to be with Obama and then the next day to publicing shame him. Will the real Hillary please stand up? She can't because, guess what, she's been jaded by the normal politics. She sways in the wind depending on the public, the polls, and her own need to win regardless of how she does it. I don't know about you, but that's not what I want in our leaders this day and age.
I want someone who actually says what he means, means what he says, but doesn't say it mean. And I believe that we Americans will decide for ourselves this important election year who is being authentic and who we can put our trust in to change the course of this nation, or to put it back on course since it got off somewhere along the way. I'm not sure I know when, although I feel like it began when we assassinated three leaders in the sixties who were trying to bring hope to the hopeless and give every American the opportunities laid out in the Declaration of Independence - Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
Not everyone in my life mourned those men's passings. In fact, I heard the words "may they burn in hell" in my own home and I couldn't understand that attitude. I was a young teenager and close to rebellion anyway, but to have some mixed emotions between what I felt and believed and what my parents acted out spurred me on to a life fighting them and as such my own core beliefs. For years, I remained a Republican even though I waivered several times and voted Democratic. More recently, though, I've decided to take a stand and be a Democrat for the same reasons that Obama is. To quote him one more time:
"That is one of the things that makes me a Democrat, I suppose - this idea that our communal values, our sense of mutual responsibility and social solidarity, should express themselves not just in the church or the mosque or the synagogue; not just on the blocks where we live, in the places wehre we work, or within our own families: but also through our goverment..." (The Audacity of Hope, page 63, paperback version)
We believe that our values should be carried with us throughout all our affairs - home, community, and work - and that means that politicians need to stop being so political to get something done for the common good rather than just work at getting re-elected and rewarding those who helped them. This is the kind of change that Obama is talking about when he speaks of a different kind of politics. He's actually not just talking about it, but practicing it - politics with values. Wow.
If you don't read anything else this political season, read his book, The Audacity of Hope. I'm only through Chapter 2 on "Values" and am even more convinced that Barack Obama is the best person to lead our country at this time. What we need is someone not just inspirational, but intelligent and capable of understanding all sides of an issue before making a decision. Then I challenge you to join his campaign.
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- As American voters shift from a politics-as-usual attitude to a show-me-authenticity demand, Washington is shaking in its boots. That which it feared is happening this year: the times they are a-changin'. In fact, Presidential hopefuls may be shocked to learn that the winner of the 2008 election has already been determined, at least by the people. It goes to the candidate with the highest level of authenticity, according to authenticity expert, Norma T. Hollis.
http://news.websitegear.com/view/40608
I think maybe the NY Senator will have her hands full to swing the great state of Ohio. This topic was posted on the Dayton Daily News web site by D.L. Stewart, I'm sure this will catch on nationwide.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/o/content/oh/story/opinions/columns/2008/02/14/ddn021508lifedl.html
This crusade is about authenticity... Real Americans are engaging Real Americans… People have made the difference in this campaign.
Obama’s gruff “You’re likeable enough, Hillary” during last night’s ABC debate was hardly cynical, but rather a low-key (and successful) attempt to head off a fruitless squabble about the relative likeability of the candidates, not to mention a gallant effort to rescue Hillary from an embarrassing moment.
Hillary was not being cynical either. Of course her feelings were hurt, and she was courageous to admit it. It hurts to be publicly slapped after doing your best in a lifetime of service. And of course this seasoned politician will soldier on with her characteristic indomitable resilience despite the shaking she’s endured in the last few weeks from the rough winds of political fortune. Her willingness to be vulnerable and honest was positively endearing, and indicative of hard-won personal growth in recent years.
Hillary is deeply warm-spirited. If she could as consistently offer that diplomatic side of herself (i.e., the openness, defenselessness, and respect she offers Chelsea, for instance) toward voters, the press, her rivals, and even America’s presumed enemies, as Obama can and will (rather than attacking, stereotyping, and polarizing her "enemies" as Bush has--i.e., Hillary's recent remark about the "soulless KGB agent, Putin")--her political scope of influence (and fortunes) would change overnight.
Unfortunately, Hillary has not yet conquered her distrustfulness and defensiveness, while Obama has apparently little ego to protect. He judges and attacks no one, including himself, and because of that, he doesn’t feel attacked.
Negative campaigning doesn’t sit comfortably within Hillary’s moral heart, so she was at her desperately inauthentic worst during the opening moments of the debate as she deceptively snuck in unfair innuendos about Obama’s record, attacks which Obama handily deflected with facts.
Then all the other candidates justifiably pounced on her for negative campaigning, which won’t work for her, and shouldn't (how could a ruthless attack-dog heal a nation and lead the world?) and shame on her for the pointless grief and confusion it could bring to what otherwise would be a profitable exchange of competing ideas during a dangerous time.
Unfortunately, it’s a bit much to ask Hillary to suddenly turn into Bill Clinton (or Barack Obama). She is what she is, which is a truly amazing woman with a few limitations and the tenacity to overcome them.
Obama did have a chance to speak briefly and eloquently on the subject of the relative importance of charisma and leadership skills. When Hillary contemptuously dismissed the impact of “words” as opposed to “actions,” Obama countered by insisting that the next President’s ability to inspire the citizenry to greater personal political responsibility was essential. And he’s right. Even Barack Obama will not be able to move forward on the huge, difficult changes we need without overwhelming public backing, because, despite the current popularity of the word “change,” no one likes it.
The American public is gradually awakening to the realization that our next President can break political gridlock only through charismatic, trustworthy leadership. This realization is less fun for Hillary, whose many talents currently lie elsewhere.
When I read this book, I wanted to share it. It actually makes me nervous to be this hopeful about our political process, and now I find myself unable to feel otherwise. I am circulating this book with confidence that people can recognize the difference between authenticity and bullshit.
Requests:
1) Read it. If you find it sitting untouched for more than three days, pass it along.
2) When you finish the book, write a brief personal inscription, and pass it along.
3) Consider buying extra copies and passing them along. Think logorithmically.
4) If you feel inspired, participate in the campaign.
5) If it strikes you as fun, email me at: gatito@gotsky.com.
Thank you for participating.
Remember the good ole' days when:
Well, welcome to Obama-land! From his genuine beginnings as a child of blended-ethnicity marriage in the 1950s no less, to his Harvard Law School's leadership of the Law Review as editor, to trouncing Alan Keyes in the US Senate elections - we have a real, truthful, high-integrity authentic leader.
Barack Obama is just so easy to watch, soothing to our hearts, challenging to our brains, accommodating of different perspectives, without feeling like he's catering to what "he thinks we want". Barack Obama is his own man, husband, father, citizen and senator.
I am personally inspired by someone who seeks out Truth, who lives with high Integrity and is an Authentic person - warts and all. Obama has made mistakes, owned up to them, and continually strives to be a better person - and a great leader.
Hope you will learn more about Barack Obama, his values and his viewpoints on the world and how to solve the many, deep-rooted problems we face - and solving them collaboratively, openly, transparently - and with a vision towards a more balanced, equitable and truthful future for us, our familiies and descendants, and our 6+ billion neighbors worldwide.
Restore faith in America and humanity - support Barack Obama (in 2008 and beyond)!
