Celebrate your love of Barack Obama with the newest & hottest Obama song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHdLJV9NuxU
I just searched for Obama campaign events within 100 miles of my home in northwest Florida and found an amazing 57 events, some of them in Alabama, a state that national pundits concede to Sen. McCain.
When I limit the search to 50 miles from my home, I still find 16 events, plenty to absorb all my own time, energy and enthusiasm. I've been helping a couple of paid campaign workers recently hired to open an Obama campaign office here. I'd like to urge any readers who have the time to pitch in and help these young workers and others like them, as the national and state offices give them bare bones support. Time and energy is most needed, but they also need more material support -- food for events, office supplies, even office furniture.
There is also existing enthusiasm among local Democratic voters that we've been calling this week. It was heart-warming to hear upbeat responses when we call, and to see every cubicle in the new office filled with volunteers making phone calls early yesterday afternoon.
LETS KEEP THE EXCITEMENT BUILDING!
I have just heard Rev Wright, again. I have to agree with Jay Leno, he probably would quit, but Hillary is paying him too much! Maybe this will work in the favor of Sen Obama. People will see that he has become "drunk" with attention and he knows he will only have 15 minutes of fame while the election is hot.
This weekend I was at a Communion party and asked my sister and her husband for whom they would vote. Their answer surprised me. We are pulling for Hillary, but if she loses, we are voting for Mccain! Is this what we have come to? If my candidate is not the one, then I will vote for the opposition in spite! I am sorry that I did not start trying to discuss the issues with my fellow workers and family and friends sooner!
I have a friend, a fellow pharmacist who is of African American ethnicity. He feels the efforts we are undertaking are pointless. The super delegates will do to us what the electoral college did in the 2000 election.
Whatever the outcome of this election, I hope the enthusiasm and interest has been brought to this election process will remain. But I think it will go the way of enthusiasm generated in most primaries. Our candidates appear to only be intersted in us while their election or re-election is on the line, Afterwards, they know best and only need to hear from the big businesses.
Boy, I needed this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fd-MVU4vtU
On Saturday, March 1st, three members of the Cheltenham for Obama group, Mohammed, myself and my wife, Lis, had the pleasure of attending the Philly for Obama Leadership Training in Center City. It was an electrifying experience.
For myself, I was really inspired by what I saw. The energy level in the room, which was standing room only, was enormous. America has a energy crisis. If it could have bottled up the energy in that room, our problems would have been solved for the next half century.
What really impressed me, though, was the wide diversity of Barack Obama supporters. It was if I was seeing a cross-section of America for gathered, side by side, in unity, were people from all walks of life. Business execs, large and small, sat next to blue collar workers and homeless people. Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts sat next to college students and peace activists. Homosexuals sat next to heterosexuals. Christian, Muslim and Jew sat peacefully by one another. Blacks, Whites, Asians and Latinos gathered together in common cause.
As I have previously written, I have not actively participated in a Presidential campaign or election other than using my right to vote prior to this election year. Although I participated in a variety of demonstrations and civil disobedience activities in the 1980s opposing certain policies under the Reagan and Bush administrations, I have never been inspired or motivated to participate in the nomination and election process of a president (or any other elected official). Yes, I was enthusiastic about previous Democratic Presidential hopefuls and nominees, but not to the extent that lead me to want to support them beyond casting my vote.
This is different in the 2008 Presidential campaign. Like many citizens in the United States, I am disgusted by the policies, decisions and actions of the current Bush administration and the resulting affects within the U.S. and the world at large. This President has lead this country down a path that may be too difficult to repair. The long-term impact of the policies, decisions and actions of the Bush administration are yet to be fully understood by a great deal of Americans and are most likely not appreciated by many of the elected officials within the Executive and Legislative branches of the U.S. government. (This may sound somewhat cynical, but I will stand by this opinion until proven otherwise.) However, hope springs eternal...
I find myself being inspired and believing that there is one candidate that may be able to stop and reverse the negative affects of the current administration's actions on U.S. citizens and our standing in the world. The more that I listen to Senator Barack Obama and his message of hope, the more I am moved to get involved. The more I see him on the television and various news reports and discussions, the more I am encouraged that change is possible. The more I "see" the contrast between Senator Obama and other nominees (both Democratic and Republican), the more I believe that now is the time for a fresh outlook and approach to the Presidency.
Yes, Senator Obama may be considered a junior member of the Legislative branch of the U.S. government and may lack the experience of Senators Clinton and McCain in this arena. Yes, he may be young, both in age and experience, compared to other candidates. Yes, he may be an idealist and be the "poetic" candidate. Yes, he may even appear to be vague on issues to some people. However, I do not see any of these concerns--concerns being raised by other candidates and some talking heads--as being problematic or potentially having a negative affect on his Presidency.
Senator Obama may not have the years of experience in the Federal government as others, yet he has served in elected government positions for quite some time. He may be young in age, but so was John F. Kennedy when he was elected President. (Do I really need to draw any comparisons between these two men at this time?) Being an idealist and poetic are both honorable and powerful characteristics to have. Idealism can lead to many great policies and actions; poeticism can be used to inspire, instill pride, and result in motivation. It can be said that vagueness may be an indication that someone is giving more thought to, and wants to discuss, topics in greater detail before making policy. Let's face it, we have seen the results of making policies and jumping into action without thorough and thoughtful reflection and discussion.
I recently listened to--although I have read the text many times--JFK's inaugural address from January 20, 1961. The speeches of Senator Obama remind me a great deal of the spirit, energy and thoughts of this great address. President Kennedy said a great deal of things that were viewed as idealism and was able to inspire a new generation. Let us not forget that famous line, "My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." When I listen to Senator Obamas "Yes We Can" speech I am reminded of JFK's words and the impact that it had on many of that generation.
Not since JFK has a nominee been as inspirational and been able to motivate people to the extent that Senator Obama has. (At least in my opinion.) It is clear that this candidate has the energy and power to encourage people to vote, to promote enthusiasm, to inspire, and potentially bring people together. No other candidate has demonstrated this ability during this campaign yet. Clearly this candidate can unite the Democratic party, bring new voters into the fold, and ultimately win the Presidency.
Peace,
Mickey
Hurray Hurray.. Wyoming loves Barack Obama. If you are looking for a place to 'cut your teeth' and feel a bit fragile emotionally (fearful people will yell, cuss and call your momma names - to be honest I've had very little of that...just the occasionally phone being hung up) - well Wyoming is the place to call. I'd say it was about 90% of the people I spoke to today in Cheyenne that were excited about the upcoming caucus, about Barack coming to town and about the opening of the HQ there. WISH I COULD GO TO THAT PARTY!
It was easy to get these folks to agree to come to the party, be neighborhood captains and other campaigning stuff like joining up on the site.
So if you are new to calling or know someone who is... make sure you have unlimited long distance for Wyoming. The only downside is that we won't need to be calling there forever! <G>
I have an idea that I think may be brilliant but then I am likely arrogant enough to believe that about many of my ideas.
Anyway, I think I will ask folks from areas that have already indicated their support of Obama to write blogs that I can post on my profile and group. They can serve to help the local Obama supporters realize this area is just a microcosm of a country with far greater open-mindedness and diversity than we 'enjoy' here.
this is a letter lance sent the local Obama organizer, with a cc to about half our state's elected officials, thought I'd share:Christoper,Thank you for all the work that you and the Obama campaign put into Alaska. I have lived here 10 years and have never seen anything like this. Like a lot of Alaskans, up until now I've been a registered Independent, because there wasn't a populist/Bolshevik party. In the 22 years since I've been eligible to vote, I've voted religiously, and always - without exception - at the national level, I've thought "out of a country of 300 million, this is the best we can do?"It has crossed my mind more than idly to emigrate somewhere where the corruption and cowboy antics and negativity weren't tolerated. Moving from Oklahoma to Alaska gave me hope, because there's an independent spirit here that rejects the corporate mindset, the lobbyists, the war on drugs, the RIAA war on consumers, and the blatant funneling of public funds to corporate interests. But the developers and the oil money have long been organized and efficient and ruthless, and they've been successful in making the working people think they have their interests and jobs at heart, while at the same time demonizing the left as being soft and bleeding heart and without passion. For some reason, the left hasn't fought back in a way that shows the lies for what they are, and have instead accepted the lesser role and tried to mitigate the damage that the industries would bring. It's a noble fight, but a losing one, and doesn't inspire individuals to get involved.In 1988, I contacted my local Democratic party in Oklahoma because I had heard of a thing called the League of Conservation Voters. I figured it was some sort of group an interested person could get involved in to work for change. I was asked for a donation of money and was promised that my concerns where being heard, and that was the end of it. I was always surprised that when I moved to a new city and registered to vote as a member of the Democratic, or at times the Libertarian or Green party, that no one from those organizations ever used those sorts of registrations to get in touch with the people who were obviously willing to vote. I have long given my name, my phone number, my address, my email, hoping to be contacted to do something, to get involved, but until the Obama campaign started sending me emails after I signed up at their website, nobody had ever contacted me and I'd never gotten anything beyond the occasional position flyer.Voter apathy is at the levels we see because the parties don't do enough to reach out to those they don't already know. I don't need to go to picnics or hear speeches, but the request to bring my friends, to get involved, the outreach that shows the candidate wants more than your vote, they want your involvement, that's what will bring out the kinds of crowds you saw last night. I am part of the generation that grew up watching Watergate pre-empt my after school cartoons. The only choices we've had have been the lesser of evils, the white guy who we distrust the least. We're cynical because we were taught about how great this government was, how great the leaders like Kennedy and Roosevelt and Eisenhower and so many others were, but we've been given none of those types of statesmen to get behind. Every Presidential and every US Congressional election I have voted in, and I have voted in them all, each one of the candidates was just more of the same. My generation and those younger than me have seen nothing but scandal and disgrace, failed policies, misguided wars, support of corporate interests, and a conveyor belt of candidates that remind me more of a used car salesman, evangelical TV preacher, or shellacked-hair newscaster than anyone I know. We've been told all drugs are equally bad and will all lead us to our demise, but we've seen that this isn't so. We've been marketed alcohol and tobacco from the moment we are sentient, and left to discover for ourselves the damage and disease they bring. We will sell a 21 year-old enough vodka to kill them in one evening without batting an eye, while a plant like marijuana that has no realistic toxic level in humans is outlawed and lives are ruined through incarceration for daring to posses it. Our experience with these charismatic sound bite feel-good types, in the political and the everyday, has been again and again that they have their own interests at heart, that what they are doing is a show, and that the man behind the curtain isn't the one to watch, look over there at the spotlight. We're building nothing of any legacy in this country that doesn't have a Corporation's name plastered all over it, and that's just wrong. Look at the legacies of Frederick Law Olmsted, John A. Roebling, John Frank Steven s, & George Washington Goethals, at the national parks of our country, at all that remains that was built during the Works Progress Administration. Compare the works left by wise use of public funds with the ideas floated today of stimulating the economy by cutting everyone a check and telling them to go spend it.Obama is different and that's why we've turned out. He's rejected the politics of style and the carefully crafted positions and it shows. Our country feels like a zeppelin that has been flying for centuries, being re-patched and repaired in flight, and springing new holes and disintegrating completely and it's time to stop trying to fix the holes, it's time to land the ship and build something new.We've seen the lies of the drug war, the "I didn't inhale" and the hypocrisy that is never spoken about and we reject it. We stay home because we don't trust the leadership or candidates of either party because again and again they have shown us how crooked they are and the parties haven't risen up to expel the crime. It's considered part of the process that bills are passed that no body's read and instead of stopping the whole process to fix these problems, we've all convinced ourselves that's it's OK because the bad balances out on both sides.I'm passionate about this country and about transparency in government and about honesty and about how much better this country could be, so I have continued to vote and I have continued to stay involved, but what of the people who make up the majority who stay home, not because they feel 1 vote doesn't count, but because they don't think there's enough difference between the disappointments on the right and the disappointments on the left? Those are the people of my generation who see a crumbling public infrastructure, who see public facilities being closed, who see the divide between the rich and the poor widening and they've stayed home because what's the point? What's the point of voting for another Bush or another Clinton? What's the point of circling the drain with the same ideas year after year after decade after decade while the realities of the blight in America stare us in the face? We've seen radio ruined from what we knew in our youth to what it is now. We've seen the proliferation of the Olive Gardens, Applebee's, Subway's & Carl's Jr, this culture of corporate consumerism, of box stores and bland mediocrity and explosion of advertising and celebrity worship and we're done. America's turning into a corporate dreamland of the same strip malls and high fructose corn syrup and USA Today sameness and we should be ashamed. The youth are either buying into the limited choice American Idol game show of the future, in which case they're lost, pawns in the corporate machine, or they're l ooking for alternatives here or abroad. We're at a crossroads. We can continue down the road that's been planned out for us by the marketers and the multinationals, or we can take back the nation and reverse the privatization and consumerism that has plagued and driven us for so long. I thank you for all that the Obama campaign has promised and delivered. I thank you and everyone up the chain for working, from the beginning, differently, and sticking to your ideals. It may well be that it's too soon for this type of change to take hold, but it's also too late to do anything else. I truly hope that the Democratic Party sees the power of what you have done and adopts this new method and abandons the ideas of dynasties and business as usual and laying down before the right.With greatest admiration,
I just got home from a school district board meeting - a board to which I have been elected to represent my friends and neighbors in making decisions for the children who attend school in our county. I am the only democrat elected to this board of seven. I hold my own on this board because I speak with sincerety, I listen to all sides of the issues facing us, and I am willing to see what is possible.
