Posts with the tag message

Message from the President: "This is why"

Samuel from Heath, MA — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:36:43 EDT

This morning, President Obama sent the following email to supporters:
Last year, millions of Americans came together for a great purpose.

Folks like you assembled a grassroots movement that shocked the political establishment and changed the course of our nation. When Washington insiders counted us out, we put it all on the line and changed our democracy from the bottom up. But that's not why we did it.

The pundits told us it was impossible -- that the donations working people could afford and the hours volunteers could give would never loosen the vise grip of big money and powerful special interests. We proved them wrong. But as important as that was, that's not why we did it.

Today, spiraling health care costs are pushing our families and businesses to the brink of ruin, while millions of Americans go without the care they desperately need. Fixing this broken system will be enormously difficult. But we can succeed. The chance to make fundamental change like this in people's daily lives -- that is why we did it.

The campaign to pass real health care reform in 2009 is the biggest test of our movement since the election. Once again, victory is far from certain. Our opposition will be fierce, and they have been down this road before. To prevail, we must once more build a coast-to-coast operation ready to knock on doors, deploy volunteers, get out the facts, and show the world how real change happens in America.

And just like before, I cannot do it without your support.

So I'm asking you to remember all that you gave over the last two years to get us here -- all the time, resources, and faith you invested as a down payment to earn us our place at this crossroads in history. All that you've done has led up to this -- and whether or not our country takes the next crucial step depends on what you do right now.

Will you donate whatever you can afford to support the campaign for real health care reform in 2009?

It doesn't matter how much you can give, as long as you give what you can. Millions of families on the brink are counting on us to do just that. I know we can deliver.

Thank you, so much, for getting us this far. And thank you for standing up once again to take us the rest of the way.

Sincerely,

President Barack Obam

Economic Recovery Meeting -- The Stimulus Message

Brian Chesney — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 22:04:21 EST

Continuing with the topics covered at our Economic Recovery Meeting -- the message about the stimulus package:

Stimulus Message
- The main point with the message surrounding the economic stimulus package was that its detractors seemed to be dominating the conversation about it. To address this we need to engage with others about it and express our support, especially with people that we know that might be against it. Further educating ourselves on it will make engaging in this conversation much easier.
- It seems that the stimulus package was losing the battle of language and labeling and is being miscast in an inaccurate light. There was general dismay over Senate Republicans myopically focusing on certain aspects of the bill that represent a very small percentage of it and using that as a reason to shoot it down. The concern here was that the message of the broader advantages of the bill was getting lost.
- (I turned on Charlie Rose at about 11 or midnight or so and caught the last 20-30 minutes -- nearly all of it was dedicated to losing the upper hand on the message of the stimulus bill and how not to let that happen next time. The consensus seemed to be that it was not a catastrophic error and that the Obama Administration will learn from this mistake.)
- Streamlining the web presence for economic recovery might help. There's recovery.gov, whitehouse.gov, and my.barackobama.com, all dealing with different aspects of similar things -- can we get this in one comprehensive site?

We Have To Do Better!

Ivan from Christiansted, VI — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:52:06 EST

As a retired vocational art educator from the V.I. Dept. of Education, St. Croix, I am still trying to have an impact on the vocational curriculum.

The message, I would like to leave is most of the petty and the felony crimes that are committed in our society can be prevented. Today’s educational system is out dated and under funded. We graduate thousands every year and the thousands of dropouts, are sent out into our communities with a certificate / diploma. Some barely able to fill out an application for a job . It leaves and puts a lot of them in a survival mode. Malchom X said, by any means necessary. The youth refer to the crimes committed in the community as, “Street Tax”. All are not college material. To send our children out into society without a viable trade or a marketable skill, we are breeding generations of beggars, criminals, thieves and welfare recipients. No child should leave school without a trade. Those college students with a trade could easily supplement their education without going into deep student loan debt.

The Arts can be the educational catalyst to Change!

Ivan Butcher II

A personal message to Mr. Barak Obama

Unknown user — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:48:25 EST

"I'm asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington... I'm asking you to believe in yours." If am not mistaken Sir, these have been your own words. Words used in your recent campaign. You gave flesh and bones to the word "Change" and your presidential election passed the message that "when there is a will there is always a way"! Your election was and still is the talk of the planet. An election with so many expectations from everyone…

I strongly understand that part of your forthcoming four year political agenda as a president of one of the strongest countries within the planet, will be to ensure a stronger U.S-Israel Partnership. My job is not to criticize your agenda Sir, nor guide it, that would be your job to do so. I simply want to tell you to act as a politician who acts from heart. Act as a politician who's guided by his personal values gained from parents and teachers. I'm nobody and most probably will remain nobody until the day I die… YOU Sir is someone who's actions and words DO count! Take good advantage of this gift that God gave you and use it wisely through out your political journey as a president.

Sir, allow me to express my anger and disappointment of the current situation in Gaza. I will not repeat myself like the others. Nor will I support any of the two parties' actions. I'm angry simply because innocent lives are lost and hundred others are a step away from dying. Forgive me Sir, but my mind cannot understand how a 2 years old child can be a terrorist, and his or her death will save in the nearby future the lives of many Israeli citizens from a possible terrorist act… Forgive me Sir, for not believing that hundred of lives have been lost simply because they were at the wrong place at the wrong time. Excuses over and over again… Excuses to excuse what human mind cannot digest! The community in Gaza is bleeding. Please help to stop the bleeding. Please help to stop the unfair killings of the civilians who die due to political ambitions from both sides. These Political Ambitions overlook the human rights, values and beliefs. Past Monday, the White House released a statement saying "in order for the violence to stop Hamas must stop firing rockets into Israel and agree to respect a sustainable and durable cease-fire". Such an ironic political statement released after careful study of the situation. "In order for"…., "Must"….., useless words that actually don't feet in a fight! People are dying. Innocent civilians lost their lives from one day to another. Families have been destroyed! Hopes are vanished and smiles are replaced by tears and sadness.

I personally don't care about the Israeli and Hamas' stubborn political strategy. I do care though about all those who are left behind in a hospital bed, praying to God to save their lives. If the political world of Israel is looking only for Hamas' supporters in Gaza why does the Gaza crossings are shut close? It is much easier to kill an ant and call yourself powerful, than to kill a viper with bear hands. There are children out there that need urgent help... There are children out there who share the same dreams as any other kind of child in this planet. Sir as the president of Change, you have the opportunity to change the situation! Don't shut your eyes in front of this unfair massacre. I fear that soon Hamas' supporters will fight back and the number of innocent casualties will raise again.

Peace is the hardest type of war. It's the hardest battle to fight for and win it. A couple of months ago, in your recent visit to Israel you stated: "If somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I'm going to do everything in my power to stop that. And I would expect Israelis to do the same thing". Simply remember Sir, that the coin bears two sides and what you've stated a few months ago is actually what a Palestinian father,living in Gaza is stating right now! There is no black or white Sir... There is always space for gray!

Let the forthcoming 20th of January 2009 be indeed a day of Change Sir!

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

WEBMASTER — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 02:26:14 EST

The Pickens Plan: For those who would like to become an active participant in a solution for our nations energy needs I urge you to join with T.Boone Pickens in his quest for a cleaner planet through alternative energy.

Also see Green Wave Energy: Green Wave was founded by Mark Holmes and was formulated for viable alternative energy solutions. Green Wave Energy is promoting state-of-the-art energy-saving products and services throughout the country.

Green Wave Energy understands alternative energy technology will become “main stream” when

individuals and organizations understand that alternative energy technology exists and
when people see the economic benefits of using alternative energy technologies

Call 949.645.1701 for information on how Green Wave Energy can help you save the planet.

Alternative Energy
Source: David Apperson

url: http://veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/tag/alternative-energy

HAWAIIAN INAUGURAL MESSAGE

WEBMASTER — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 22:51:31 EST

Hawaiians for Obama - Barack Obama Groups

December 7, 2008

President Elect Barack Hussein Obama
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
THE WHITE HOUSE
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President Elect:

On behalf of all Hawaiians everywhere, we send you our warmest and most heartfelt congratulations on your election as President of the United States of America. Mere words cannot begin to convey the joy, the optimism and the intense sense of pride we collectively felt at the moment your victory was announced. Although most of us could not be with you in Grant Park on November 4th, our spirits soared as we listened to you humbly accept the honor and the responsibility of serving as the 44th President of our nation.

From the moment you stepped into the public forum, we recognized in you the true embodiment of the Spirit of Aloha. The nation remarked on your strength of character, your quiet intellect, your wisdom and your spirit of peace. The media called you unflappable. We saw in you the trait most needed to guide us and lead us as one people through difficult yet promising times, He po`i na kai uli, kai ko`o, `a`ohe hina pûkoa. (Though the sea be rough and deep, the coral rock remains standing - You are the one who remains calm in the storm).

We have for so long yearned to share with the world the Spirit of Aloha. Most of us never dreamt it would be possible. In you, however, we know that spirit was nurtured and will now serve you and our nation well as you represent us on a global stage. We are proud and we are joyful. For us, you are so much more than the President-Elect, you are Mai Ka Lani Mai (Heaven sent). You are Hawai‛i’s native son. You are our ohana.

No matter what the future holds for you, for all of us, you will always have the support of your ohana. Our spirits are entwined with your spirit, your joys are our joys, your successes are our successes and when trials come remember, with ohana, your trials too are our trials.

`A`ohe pu`u ki`eki`e ke ho`â`o `ia e pi`i

(No cliff is so tall that it cannot be scaled - No problem is insurmountable when one works hard to solve it)

Aloha and mahalo nui loa for the sacrifices you have chosen to make for all of us, Hawaiians for Obama,

Gerald W Ashton
David Apperson
Teresa Arcangel
María Julianna Auzenne
Elizabeth Balao
Victoria Bates
Gail Breakey
Teresa Burkert
Jeri Lynn Endo
Rebecca Estrada
Carolyn Golojuch
Lisa Holmes
Johnny Huckaby
Bruce Juselis
Kelvin Kinte
Carole Kuwahara
Arni Maddox
Anita Di Mauro
Samuel Mitchell
Jeff McKnight
Nedra McKnight
Daryl Muromoto
Lisa Rey
Gerry Jayte Tavares
Bonnie Walker
Aroha Walsh
Eliza Walsh
Makana Walsh
Michael Walsh

Email hawaiiansforobama@barackobama.com

It Matters What We Believe

Rev. John Crestwell — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:53:08 EST

IT MATTERS WHAT WE BELIEVE

Rev. John T. Crestwell Jr.

December 6, 2008

It truly matters what we believe. Some of the things we hold construct, while others tear-down. Some of the things we accept allow us to be hopeful, while many other things we believe cause fear and doubt. Some of the things we believe help us to do more than we ever thought we could or to bear a heavy burden, while other beliefs castrate our sense of dignity and purpose, or push us to give up way to soon on something we want. Yes, it matters what we believe…

Winning an election on "hope" and "change"

Mees — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 14:51:40 EST

I graduated with a BA in communication and a minor in dialogue and I'm fascinated by the consistency of the message from the beginning of the campaign.

I wrote about it on my other blog at www.melissachungfat.com

Congratulations on your remarkable campaign and well-deserved win!

An E-mail to Friends

Andrew — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 22:21:39 EST

I recently wrote a positive e-mail to all my friends and family letting them know I have my reasons for supporting Obama. I'm not some mindless college kid following a trend, but am really invested in this thing. The response has been great! From Republican and Democrat alike. I'm glad I did it, you should too!

Here's what I sent maybe it can inspire your own:

Hello Everyone,

I hope you will read this; I will try to be brief. I have been doing some volunteering lately for the BYU Democrats and especially for Barack Obama’s Campaign for Change. A key point in the campaign’s philosophy is that we make sure we share with everyone our personal story for why we support whom we support. It’s important to me that everyone know I’m not behind Obama because I’m young and impressionable but because I feel that we as Americans have a vested interest in seeing this man become President.

I’m a junior at BYU majoring in Middle East Studies with the goal of one day serving the United States as a Foreign Service Officer. Diplomacy to me is key to American security. Soldiers are a precious resource, they’re individuals with husbands and wives and families who love them, and should be used only as a last line of defense. Senator Obama understands the need to use diplomacy first and warfare last. America has lost too much credibility on the world stage doing the reverse. I want my boss to be someone who understands that important balance.

Second, Kennedy encouraged his countrymen to “ask not what your country can do for you [but to] ask what you can do for your country.” The reason that statement lives on almost half a century later is because it’s an emboldening principle, an ideal of American civic virtue. After 9/11, despite the fact that we as nation felt a huge swell of solidarity, few outside of the military were asked to sacrifice much of anything, we were asked to shop; that was a wasted opportunity. Obama will build-up programs like the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps and Teach for America, programs that encourage our best and brightest to give back to the nation that gave them so many opportunities. Educated people make countries stronger, and help with tuition in return for helping the country only makes sense.

Third, from just a personal viewpoint, when Obama says he believes in every American’s potential and that America’s brightest days are still ahead, I believe him. All I did was give the campaign my name, my number and a pledge to volunteer and they gave me a list of people to talk with. For those people I was the voice of the Obama Campaign, even though Barack Obama has no idea who I am. Yet because of his beginnings as a community activist he entrusts millions of us to be his ears and voice rather than rely on something maybe more accurate and infallible (like robo-calls). To me that spells trust and real confidence in the American people.

So those are just some very simple reasons why I’m so excited to see Barack Obama become our next president. I don’t think he’s a Messiah, he’s not a pop-culture icon for me, but he does give me hope for the future and he does make me excited to be an American and to represent this incredible country abroad. I’m linking this to Obama’s Blueprint for Change, which sums up the campaign’s position on most of the major issues (and some you might not expect). I know my few little reasons won’t apply to some of your major concerns so I’m encouraging you to take a look at the ones that do.

And if you’ve already made your decision for McCain I think that’s great. I hope you won’t mind getting this from me, I’m so tired of partisanship and I hope we can still be friends (politics isn’t worth dividing friendships over). One day the time of wars and nations will be over and all we’ll have left is our friends and families, so I hope we can all keep our priorities straight ;) Thanks for reading.

Much love,

Andrew

The Village Hopes Blog

Candida — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 10:58:05 EDT

We are close to the wire and McCain continues to stump and fabricate untruths (lies!). Barack and Joe have to be able to continue to push back with our positive messages that will carry us into the future as a united country. That is why even on this Saturday before election day Tuesday, I will opt to send a donation and cook in tonight or do my own pedicure/manicure (or maybe I will just consider it a self imposed luxury matching fund donation). If we all continue to do whatever we can between now and Tuesday, a lot will get done!

Senator Obama's Election Strategy

Logan Naidu — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:50:20 EDT

If one judges the candidates on the manner in which they directed their election campaign, Sen. Barack Obama would win hands down. He has spearheaded a campaign that has been nothing short of brilliant. Sen. Obama has remained steadfast and had a consistent message of genuine change. Whereas Sen. John McCain's campaign has been floundering from one issue to another and the latest reports of in-fighting between Palin's and McCain's aides is another sign of a troubled camp.

It is now up to the tens of millions of Barack Obama supporters to ensure they get to the polls and vote for soon to be President Obama.

Motivating a Movement: Cohesive Message

Lane — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:39:11 EDT

I've been wanting to discuss the Obama Design since day one. Many people have agreed that the design behind the Obama campaign has been stellar and reaching people unlike previous elections. What is behind this?

The Symbol

So, never before have I seen such a flawlessly run design campaign.

Politics aside, the mobilization of the logos, the diverse options, and the inspiring mottoes and - dare I say - typeface have people eager to put stickers on their bumpers.

Seriously, never before have I been thinking about putting a bumpersticker on my car. Bumpersticker activism isn't how I want to change the world.

But the simple circle with the new day dawning over the striped fields...something about that image just gets into the core of me. It doesn't just represent Obama - it represents something deeper, something organic and powerful that connects us all to the earth beneath our feet and the people on the street.

Even if Obama didn't win, I really think this logo could be something people across the country could unite under. It represents the best of us, the intrinsic American spirit that is about community and roots, as well as change and growth.

You have to admit, it's fabulous design that manages to take one symbol and tweak it to fit so many different people. It gives credence to the underlying statement: that we are all equally important and united, despite our individual differences. (For a sample of the logos as made individualized for each voting group, you can check the BarackObama website, or you can read this blog that includes a sample of each. )

Designbay did a study of winning presidents and their logos, and then compared this year's candidates. The Obama logo is designed to win.

Designers Review the Branding

K-Co, my top-notch designer friend, and I have discussed the Obama branding and what makes it so alluring. The branding has a lot of designers talking. One designer and critic, Michael Beirut, was asked to give his opinions of the Obama branding and the effort that has gone into it. His views seem somewhat amazed at the level of detail put into the branding, and his tone sounds a bit conflicted. But he says it clearly - the design and branding are impeccable.

The website is part of the branding technique, and people definitely have opinions about that. Friends I've talked to find it simultaneously helpful and beautiful, but expansive and overwhelming. Back in 2007, the Bivings Report took a look at the Obama campaign site. They gave it pretty high reviews, although some issues were noted. Additionally, Brian Yerkes provided his own review in June of '08, which goes through some detail as to why the Obama website is superior.

In January '08, the Boston Globe put together a review of fonts by The Font Bureau, Inc. focusing on which fonts in the campaigns really speak of change.

The Website and the Store

Have you been to the BarackObama store? Not just your typical cheesy election stuff. The designs are quality and make you feel inspired and happy to be a part of the experience. In addition, if you're looking for something higher end, there are the Runway to Change and Artists for Obama lines. SwissMiss featured the newest art poster in a blog post a few days ago, referring to it as a "typographic waterfall" as lovingly as any designer might.

The problem? Everything I want (or can afford) is sold out! (Perhaps I should check out the Democratic Stuff website.)

Next Post: Capitalism, Artists and DIY Speak Up For Obama

(originally posted at Exponential)

Stop running the 90% Bush commercial (10/15/08)!!!!!!

Gil from San Francisco, CA — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:23:09 EDT

The McCain is 90% Bush commercial run after the 3rd debate is a disaster for the campaign. You absolutely have to refer to Bush as President Bush or risk everything. If the polls swing negatively as of 10/16/08, this commerical is the cause. No matter how much people dislike Bush, you cannot refer to him as "Bush!"

Obama inspired art: 50 States of an Amercian Dream

Kathy in NJ — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 22:27:34 EDT

Hello Everyone,

I am an Obama supporter and artist and thought you might be interested to see a work inspired by Barack Obama that I just completed which is to be shown in an art exhibit starting Oct. 10.

As a response to the negative comments from the McCain/Palin campaign lately, I felt it necessary to create a positive work of art as a reminder and to help stay focused on how uplifting I feel the future could be with Obama's leadership. I created a work titled "50 States of an American Dream" with the intention to share that view with others. It is a rubbing/drawing featuring a map of the US and 50 positive words and I designed it all so it has some resemblance to a US flag. I know many of you are busy doing all you can to help the campaign in these last weeks, but I hope you can spare a few moments to check out the images I posted of it on my MySpace page. Perhaps it will be inspiring for you too. They can be viewed at:

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=309219113&albumId=1074491

or to read my MySpace blog about it at:

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=309219113&blogID=439231071

Thank you again for all YOU are doing!

Kathy

When the World looks at our candidates, what do they see?

Amaryllis from Los Angeles, CA — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:21:07 EDT

McCain, in every way, whether it is that he is a prisoner of War, or that he supported the War in Iraq, and he not time frame planned for getting out... has "WAR" written all over him when the people of the world see him.

When people see Obama, they see Peace. He promotes Peace, he plans for Peace, he advocates Peace.

Isn't this the fundamental message that we want to be putting out there?

U V - X Y (no more W)

Obama Twin — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:17:10 EDT

From: Ron Carpenter

24 years Air Force (4 in munitions - 20 doing intelligence work)

2 years Compaq Computers

4 years teaching at-risk students (gang members & drug users)

Stepdad married 22 years

... and changing from Independent to Democrat

McCain is trying hard to scrape Bush off his shoe.

I've thought of a way to make that impossible. A way to make sure everyone smells what McCain's been stepping in the last 8 years.

It's a new slogan to use before and after speeches, on bumper stickers, at gatherings, and on podiums and television backdrops.

It may unite and energize an audience, and it's a strong clear message for public speaking. It's sheer simplicity will make it an effective message and fund raiser.

It looks like this:

UV_XY

NO MORE W's

It is the strongest possible rallying cry for loyal Democrats and undecided Independents. It says in a simple way get rid of the "W" (Bush and his follow-ons).

(1) Everyone recognizes the oval office monkey by his nickname "dubyah" or "W".

(2) Every Republican ran out to buy "W" bumper stickers.

(3) Every loyal Democrat might use the "UV_XY" sign and slogan. People would see it on bumper

stickers on every highway and every parking lot in America, on front lawns, and tee-shirts.

(4) From now on, energize people with the simple chant "U-V-X-Y" and "NO MORE W's".

It is memorable and to the point, like Mr. Obama himself.

As a slogan it exposes the Republicans' biggest weakness: that link between Bush and McCain. They are doing everything they can to break that link before November, but this tactic will forge it into an unbreakable chain.

Republicans didn't even want "W" at the convention. The hurricane was just a flimsy excuse for his absence.

Mr. Bush ... the man who stayed to watch the Olympics when war broke out between Russia and Georgia ... the man who kept reading a nursery book to school kids after he heard the twin towers were destroyed ... the man who did nothing about Katrina for days ... the man who vacationed at his ranch every time the world went to heck ... that same Bush pretended a hurricane was keeping him busy.

Don't allow the Republican and Bush track record to slip into the background!

Every television backdrop should be showing "UV_XY" and NO MORE W's. Every speech should start with the "UVXY" chant and high spirits. Every car driven by every Democrat should proclaim the days of George Bush and his kind are over .

"U-V-X-Y" and "NO MORE W's" would also refocus the campaign on McCain and away from that awful woman Palin. It would reinforce in every listener's mind, Independent or Democrat or other, that McCain is just another Bush.

And one more thing. In the 2000 election Bush was relentless claiming he'll be a better President than John MCCain. With Bush's record, what does that say about McCain?

----------

There's been a lot of talk about change in this Presidential race. Some of it real, and some of it just talk.

I do admit the Republican party has made some very real changes.

For instance, after the Democratic party brought a woman so close to the White House, the Republican party finally brought one into the picture.

After the Democratic party demanded we consider other options in Iraq, the Republican party also began talks about ending the war ... a war which has lasted nearly 2 years longer than World War II.

After the Democratic party talked about curbing the abusive profit-taking of big oil, the Republican party did eventually admit something needed to be done.

And after the Democratic party talked for years about the need for major changes in the way the White House does business, the Republican party dropped its long held mantra "stay the course" and began calling itself "the party of change."

Oh they've made changes all right. The trouble I see is that they only do it when they're backed into a corner. When the majority of Americans are suffering and an election is coming.

And you can't really talk about majorities without talking about minorities.

Remember we are all Americans. We are not part rich and part poor, part black and part white, part Hispanic and part Asian. We are the people , every last one of us. Your government shouldn't pick and choose who gets all the benefits, who gets immediate attention after a hurricane and who doesn't, who gets laws passed for their personal benefit and who does not.

But the Republican party doesn't seem to see it that way. In this great democratic process of electing the next President, the Democratic convention floor was a cross-section of all Americans ... the Republican convention was a different story.

The Democratic party has long held the doors open to minorities, to Hispanics and the young and women and African-Americans and others ... in short to all Americans ... but the Republican party is slow to accept these differences.

This year a quarter (24%) of the Democratic delegates were African-American. On the Republican side, the number was less than 2%.

At the Democratic convention, almost half (44%) of delegates were the minorities of this country. Twelve percent (12%) of them were Hispanic ... at the Republican convention that number was a mere 5%.

It seems to me that if the Republican party is reluctant to lead the country towards real equality and opportunity for everyone, the Democratic party is more than willing!

The Republican convention this year did have more women delegates than in the past, and one woman even made it onto the ticket. But the Republicans had only a handful of African-American delegates, of handicapped, Hispanic or Asian, or young people ...

... and certainly no one they think of as undesirable ... or who dares to challenge the party line.

Republican gatherings have frequently been preceded by the signing of loyalty oaths ... and party loyalty, not competence, has been the chief requirement for Republican appointees to government positions.

For women in the Republican party things look pretty good right now ... not so good for others. But I suppose if you're only going to talk about change you don't need to go into it with your heart and soul.

I guess what I'm saying is that when you talk about leading the way ... making America a fair and free land for all Americans ... you have to actually do it ... to show it ... you have to mean it .

I often wonder what must be going through the minds of voters.

When John McCain's economic advisor called us a nation of whiners, did voters think perhaps the Republican controlled White House, Congress, and Supreme Court have given them plenty to whine about?

And what must the more open-minded voters think of the Republican way of viewing the world today?

A frequent Republican goal seems to be amassing personal wealth. They rub the shoulders of big oil and wall street firms and major banks. John McCain even had a billionaire speak for him at the convention. The speaker mentioned how hard it is to get by in America today, with the high price of gas and food and everyday necessities.

By the way, that speaker really opened my eyes. I can now say in all honesty that I'm no longer surprised the Republican candidate doesn't know how many houses he owns ... or the difference between millionaires and the struggling middle class. People of enormous wealth, though they may be very good people, live in a different world from the rest of us.

... We didn't have a billionaire guest speaker at our convention because, quite frankly, they understand the problems of the average American. They are much more familiar with Republican support of big business.

Another conservative political mantra is a free market economy. The Republican party still seems to believe the more money you put into the hands of the wealthy, the better off everyone will be. It's that trickle down theory they've chanted since the days of Ronald Reagan.

Yet when John McCain's economic advisor, Mr. Graham, threw away many of the restrictions on profit-motivated banks earlier this year, the economy took a nose dive and millions of investors were hurt.

This is not to say that all major U.S. companies are interested only in the bottom line, but it does seem like most of them are.

And when you tell a company CEO and stockholders they can make all the money they want, by whatever means, and no one will be watching ... there are those who just might take advantage of the ordinary American.

Like big oil. Their profits under President Bush have been record-setting.

There's one report that Exxon made over $35 billion profit last year, while claiming they only raised prices to cover increased costs. On profits alone big oil could practically pay for the Iraq war, without putting the burden on us taxpayers.

It's no secret this administration and John McCain and Ms. Palin are all for letting big oil drill anywhere it wants and make whatever profit it can. But will unrestricted drilling reduce the price of filling up at the pump?

Let's examine the Republican "trickle down" theory in actual practice.

The price of crude oil has dropped over a third since it's record high, but at the pump the price has dropped more like an eighth. You can be certain that between 33% and 12% is a huge profit that went into someone's back pocket, and it wasn't mine. Nor was it the average American's.

And when the Republicans' chief economists and political figures loosened other government oversight, turned their heads away from the mortgage lenders, it was a clear signal to market predators they had the government's blessing to chase down every last crumb of mortgage profit. They lured millions of American families into buying more house than they could afford.

Mortgage lenders also pressed hard to convert Americans across the country into refinancing existing homes with Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs). Americans were told this would be their ticket to bigger and better things, not to worry about the rates going up. But the rates did go up ... driving many of those same families into foreclosure.

Homelessness plays no part in the American dream as I understand it.

Surely some innocent Republicans are suffering along with the rest of America in the housing crisis. But the die-hards never seem to accept reality. They never seem to see the light of day.

The die-hard Republicans ... and I'm not talking about the typical Republican party member ... whose only concern is the good of the country ...

... but the die-hard Republicans like the Karl Roves and Henry Paulsons ... the John McCains and Sarah Palins ... they forge ahead continuing to support the same policies, the same political tactics, and the same administration. In the face of overwhelming evidence that things are not going as hoped, they stay the course .

Perhaps they're sticking to their guns in the mere hope their economic strategies will do better in the future ...

... though I've heard many Republicans claim Mr. Obama’s message of hope is merely a hollow promise. He has been attacked by die-hard Republicans for carrying his message of hope and the belief in a better tomorrow.

Let us not forget the Republican White House and Congress have been telling us the Middle-East, Iraq, the economy, and our standing and security in the world will all improve … all without a sliver of evidence. It sounds to me like they are saying “hope” only means something when they say it does.

Still it seems to me that hope has its place. Just not where the die-hards are looking.

Die-hard Republicans are hoping the job market will improve, even when their government does little to help ...

They're still hoping the price of oil will come down, when the government is backing the oil industry over the consumer ...

Hoping big corporations will trickle their profits down to the average American, when history tells us otherwise ...

Hoping the war will end, that our sons and daughters won't be dragged into that war, though the government refuses to consider the options ...

Hoping the world will be a safer place, when we go after the wrong targets ...

Hoping our civil rights will remain secure, when the very government meant to protect those rights is taking people to prison without trial, spying on our e-mails and phone calls without warrants ...

They're hoping college will be affordable, and opportunity will come knocking, when the government is spending less and less on college education ...

They're hoping people will get help when disaster strikes, though Katrina victims waited days for the Republican President to even acknowledge their plight ...

Most of all they're hoping the world will end up a better place for our children, despite the fact they keep putting the same kind of people and the same kind of policies back into power ...

It seems to me that's where the false hope lies.

I believe in hope, but of a different kind.

I believe in hope ... when it's backed by honest commitment, and it's not just a last-minute political label.

I believe in hope ... when I can see a political party that includes all Americans in that message.

I believe in hope ... when people say they're ready for change.

We cannot go on as before. We cannot survive as a nation if we continue to exclude everyone except the rich and powerful and closed-minded. We must change for the good of all.

This country does not belong to just a few of us ...

... to just 1.5% of the African-Americans ...

... to just 5% of the Hispanics ...

... to just those who support war ...

... or just those who support big business ...

... or just those who support Republican policies ...

This country is our land, rich and poor, black and white, Asian, Hispanic and everything in-between.

It's time to take the "W" out of the White House. It's time to give this country back to its people.

Say it with me. U-V-X-Y. No more W's.

UV_XY

NO MORE W's

Regulation is good!

Joseph from San Francisco, CA — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:29:31 EDT

Democrats should not be scared to talk about regulation now. We need it and Wall Street wants it. The message to the public should be "Wall street people are Americans too. But, they are in an environment that brings out the worst in human nature. You can't run a company on Wall street that allows the competition to beat you, so you have to get down to their level. Everyone spirals down to the lowest acceptable regulatory threshold - and many go even lower. If the government provided a level playing field that gave them a more ethical environment to work within, they can go back to providing America their valuable service financing our innovation and future. And, they can go back to work acting in an ethical manner without getting fired or running their business into bankruptcy. Wall Street wants regulation, and we need to raise the quality of that regulation to meet today's standards."

Inspire us with hope

Candice — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 22:34:17 EDT

Barack Obama, you changed the tone of the campaign this week. You brought it back to politics and policy. With all of the right policies, you should be winning in the polls.

Now look at the electorate. The stock market is in crisis and the Gulf coast is reeling from Hurricane Ike. We are eager for change, yet catastrophic change is already upon us. Now more than ever, we need our leaders to stand up with a message of hope, and deliver.

Again, I say it: Barack, take the highest of high roads. Right now, be the change you want to see.

You want a campaign free of smears? Praise your opponents.

You want a campaign based on truth? Tell us the truth about you. Your plans. Bring it back to you.

Barach Obama, you inspired a nation during the Democratic convention. You inspired us to believe for so many months. We learned all we could about you. We had the audacity to hope.

Then McCain pulled a rabbit out of his hat and inspired his own base.

You have no more rabbits. We all know your message.

All you can bring us is you.

Inspire us again. Speak only kindness. Focus on helping in Texas, even before the financial markets. Go to Texas. Fix things! Be the hope you talk about! Be the change you promise! Start your presidency of hope and kindness and fairness today. Lead us now! Inspire us again. We need you.

New Ad Idea - McCain-Phil Gram link!

Ian from Columbus, OH — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:22:36 EDT

Ad opens with history of the Phil Gram add on to the bill in the late 90's. Voice over talks about how it deregulated the banking industry and the subprime mortgages. Then it talks about how that bill from Phil Gram lead to all that we are seeing today but that Gram thinks we are "whinners". Finally it shows McCain saying that Gram is "the smartest economist I know" and how the economy is "strong". Finally, mention that if elected Phil Gram would be first in line for Secretary of Commerce and ask "Have you had enough of John McCain and his economic advisor handling your economy? Are you ready for real change?"

A Desperate Need For A Compelling Story

Mark — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:26:05 EDT

If you haven't read George Lakoff's Don't Think of An Elephant, please do so- and quickly. He talks about frames and worldview, and how that impacts people.

When Obama first came into this election, I was electrified. I was inspired. I got it. But, since the convention (and I loved his speech), since choosing Biden, and since McCain picked Palin, I've noticed that I've lost my sense of inspiration.

I believe what's missing is a strong narrative. They are doing what Democrats always do to lose elections- they are talking about the issues without a strong narrative to support the progressive viewpoint. Facts and figures without context, and you can notice that energy, momentum, excitement is being lost.

It's not too late. I wrote up a draft of what I think could be a strong narrative. And that's to focus back on the "we" in the message. People say that "change" is what this is about- and I disagree. I think the strongest, most inspirational part of the message is "we." There are a whole host of historical factors that make this true- I may talk about it in a later post.

What Obama can do in the last 7 weeks

David — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 02:18:01 EDT

In the remaining weeks of the election, Obama must spend every minute describing his vision for an ideal America. We cannot waste anymore time telling Americans what has gone wrong and whose fault it was; we need to tell them how things should be. We need our vision of American to be so large and beautiful and important that it pushes out everything else in the minds of the voters. When they think of Obama, they will think of that America, the America we dream about. For example,

“We need an America that provides its own energy. We need energy that we can afford and that doesn’t harm our environment.”

“We need an economy that creates jobs in America; real jobs that can give consumers the money to grow our economy and provide opportunities for business to thrive.”

“We need a health care system that will lead the world in quality and be affordable to all Americans.”

“We need a government that balances the needs of all Americans.”

“We need an America that is strong enough and smart enough to protect its citizens from all threats, from anywhere in the world, while respecting the rights and human dignity of all people.”

“We need an economy that is based on real wealth, not credit cards and bad loans.”

“We need a government that holds its corporations responsible for themselves and does not encourage them to make foolish financial decisions knowing that the taxpayers are going to pay for their mistakes.”

“We need a fair tax system that puts money in the hands of American consumers, which will create jobs and opportunities for everyone.”

“We need a government that is neither too small nor too big. We need a government that is the right size—strong enough to do its job well, but small enough so it doesn’t hurt our wallets.”

“We need a culture that respects the values of all Americans, and where there are differences, we find a compromise that respects those differences and strikes the best balance between them.”

“We need a foreign policy that promotes peace, tolerance, freedom and prosperity throughout the world, because it is in our best interest to do so.”

“We need an America that respects the faith of its people and encourages them to find meaning and strength.”

“We need an economy that gives consumers real choices and puts people in control of the market. A consumer controlled economy fosters innovation and creates jobs.”

“We need an America that understands that power works best when it is shared. When too much power is given to the few, the rest inevitably suffer. Political parties must share power to work together. Employers must share power with their employees. Companies must share markets with other companies. Our founding fathers created the most successful democracy in the history of the world because they knew that power must be shared if a union is going to last. If I am elected President, I will share my power with my fellow leaders from all across our country and together we will create the America that we feel in our hearts and see in our minds.”

“We need an America that believes in America. We are strong. We are diverse. And we are all Americans. We will prevail. We will make America great together.”

Do not hit talking points, do not stay on message, do not go negative, and do not mention John McCain or Sarah Palin, let the media do that. Do not do anything other than create the vision of what America should be in the minds of the voters. And that vision must be felt in more than just Democrats; it must be felt by everyone. The vision must be balanced in order to win. Respect the dreams of all Americans.

The vision must be compelling. If you feel there is a part of a speech where you are dying to say how McCain is wrong on this, then you haven’t made your vision exciting enough. McCain being ‘bad’ doesn’t mean Obama is ‘good’. Obama working with all Americans to make America the greatest country on earth is what makes Obama ‘good’.

Do not make statements end in negatives. It focuses the mind of the listener away from the vision and Obama and onto the present. Obama is about what America will be. For example, do not say

“We need a government that respects the needs of all of its people, not just the lobbyists that cripple our markets, hurt our consumers, and take taxpayer money for themselves.”

This focuses the listener away from the vision of the ideal America that Obama is offering, and puts it on the problem. Voters vote for something, they do not for nothing. Instead say

“We need a government the respects the needs of all its people. We need a government that balances the interests of taxpayers with the needs of taxation. We need a government that balances the needs of consumers with the needs of business. We need a government that strives to balance the needs of employers with the needs of employees. We need a government who strives to find a balance for the needs of all Americans, because that is the kind of people we are. We love freedom, for ourselves and for everyone.”

Lastly, Obama needs to hit the reset button in his mind and pretend that the last two years of campaigning did not happen. He needs to start over and pretend that this is day one and the voters have never heard of him. He cannot speak with the assumption that people already know him—that they know what he is about and he is now simply refining the message and responding to current events in the media day to day until the election. This approach will fail. The voters want a new America. Obama can give them that.

Obama for a New America.

Obama needs to pretend that no one has ever heard him speak before and that it is the first time Americans will hear his vision of America. Now is the time to get high minded, and create a vision of America that will unify all Americans and bring Republicans over to the side of Democrats.

Victory for America [speech/message]

Larry from Los Angeles, CA — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:22:59 EDT

I also posted this here:

http://www.ohboyobama.com/Message/Victory-for-America-Speech-Part-1 http://www.ohboyobama.com/Message/Victory-for-America-Speech-Part-2

Victory for America

John McCain and Sarah Palin accuse me of failing to speak of victory in Iraq. Now Bush, Cheney, McCain--their definition of victory in Iraq has been redefined and whiddled down so many times and to such an extent that they can't even look you in the eyes anymore and tell you what victory in Iraq they're chasing after.

I believe, that as President of the United States of America, my first and foremost job will be to lead our nation to victory *for America*. How we move forward in Iraq--since Bush, Cheney, McCain misled us into this war--is important, but we must never lose site of what our true goal as americans must be: Victory for America. Let me tell you what I believe Victory for America is and is not:

Get back on message

Kevin from San Diego, CA — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:28:33 EDT

Sarah Palin has done one thing very well. She has knocked Barack off message for over a week. A day should not go by from now until Election Day without Barack talking about the economy or energy. It would make me happy if he never mentioned her name again. People are losing jobs every day and all we hear about is lipstick on a pig. We win if this is about issues we all care about. We lose if this turns into a back and forth similar to our days on the playground in 3rd grade.

Ad idea: Instead of the he said she said why not point out that while the computer has gone from the size of a house to the palm of your hand and TV's have gone from big bulky black and whites to slim color flat screens that sit on your wall; fuel efficiency standards have not kept pace. Had they we would not have 2 wars going on and the middle east would be something we learned about in history class not something we hear about daily on the nightly news.

Lakoff's Message to Obama on Revitalizing His Campaign

Marcelisa — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:14:13 EDT

An excellent article by Geroge, Lakoff, professor of cognitive linguistics at theUniversity of California, Berkeley.

A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION
By George Lakoff

Throughout the nomination campaign I was struck by how well the Obama campaign was being run, especially how sophisticated the framing was. I was heartened that my five books on the subject might have had a real effect. But recently I have begun to wonder. It looks like, in certain respects, the Obama campaign is making some of the same mistakes of the Hillary campaign and the Kerry and Gore campaigns.

The Dayton speech on education had fine policy, but was the first really deadly dull Obama speech I've heard. It started out with lots of numbers. True, but dull. And he is promising more of the same policy wonk speeches. He's right that we are facing serious realities, and he's right to say what he intends to do, but the old inspiring Obama just isn't there. And the surrogates - Biden and Hillary - are policy-wonking it, too.

10,000 "AMERICANS FIRST" signs (as a counter to "Country First")

LIC Will — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:55:33 EDT

The signs that should be printed up in the THOUSANDS at Obama/Biden rallies should say

"AMERICANS FIRST"

as the _perfect_ "judo" reversal tonic to the "Country First" nationalist jingo of the McBush/Yosemite Sarah campaign. Why?

#1 Reason: This campaign HAS to be about the PEOPLE of AMERICA, not about the repeated, and repeated, and REPEATED lies, half-truths and non-issues that hide like like rodents behind the guise of Patriotism.

We have to re-frame this as a "People Power" -(with 2,000,000+ INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS !!!!!) campaign - and break it down in the SIMPLEST terms!

Using Nonviolent Communciation in our messages

Clarelynn Rose — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 07:04:16 EDT

Here are examples of how I'm using the "Observation -- feeling -- need -- request" model of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) in email messages. The intent is to create a positive dialogue, coming from a place of peace in my heart, and to maintain in myself energy to support Obama. Hope it is of interest

Keep it positive -- keep it flowing. together, yes we can!! -- Clarelynn (Nonviolent Communication Supporters for Obama)

EXAMPLE 1: ENCOURAGING PEOPLE

I've watched with distress and unease recently seeing more and more emails, blogs (even from HQ) giving energy to the opponents by naming and talking about them, encouraging us to "fight back," etc. (OBSERVATION & FEELINGS)

I so support Barack yet feel my own energy to participate dissipating as I see this turn in focus... (NEED & FEELING)

We can frame the debate with energy independence, renewable energy, the environment, Iraq, etc...
Can we please do our best to reframe the debate? Focusing on what we SUPPORT? (REQUEST)

EXAMPLE 2:RESPONDING TO A SUPPORTER OF THE OPPONENTS

This morning I was stunned to see the response from "ManagingPartner@project76.org", a member of this list, copied below. His 2-word note was in response to "re-focusing on what we want". (OBSERVATION) Mr. Cooper, I'm confused (FEELING) as to why you choose this response on a pro-Obama board. Would you be willing to provide the clarity I'm needing (NEED) and share what your intention was? (REQUEST)

words are like arrows...if u miss them, they can kill your interest.

Lester from Miami Beach, FL — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 02:52:17 EDT

i sent the campaign a message about the language of the candidate, because it seems so obvious to me why he may seem to have a hard time connecting with segments of the public we WILL need to win this election: the simple, hardworking, str8 to the point talking americans painfully aware of their dire economic situation, but dubious about the message laid in froint of their eyes by the obama campaign...because they CAN"T understand it...

it went like this:

CRITICAL...what follows is CRITICAL in nature for the campaign, PLEASE read in it's entirety:

i just saw a keith olberman interview of obama (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/08/obama-olbermann-interview_n_124955.html)

and it became SO clear and OBVIOUS to me, one of the reasons why the senator may seem to have a tough time "connecting" with segments of the general public in relating his message...case in point:

in comparing mccain's and palin's to bush's policies he says, and i quote..."there's no DISCERNIBLE difference from george bush..." discernable??? i mean, HOW MANY americans can even understand the message if they can't "get" the vocabulary...he should've said "BASIC difference from george bush".

in quoting rick davis saying this election would not be about the issues he says..."that was his ASSERTION"....really?? what happened to "that's what he SAID"???

he throws words like "genuine" and "thrust" and "resume" and "ultimatedly" like free beer in a fest instead of "real" and "emphasis" (or message) and "record" and "in the end"....like when he talked about the soaring price of arugula at....whole foods??? arugula?? at whole foods?? what happened to lettuce or tomatoes and supermarket?? and you wonder why they can label him an "elitist"?? really?

honestly, i was for hillary to begin with but now i KNOW we have to unite behind obama but, for crying out loud, who is advising this man on his rhetoric? i want him to CONNECT with the millions that will need to understand his message in PLAIN english, because MOST americans are not that verse on our vocabulary (specially rePUBICans,...LOL) and it would be a shame to lose the election over such simple fix.

thanks and i hope he gets some coaching on this issue...PLEASE.

i really hope they heed my advise, because words can be easily misconstrued or missunderstood and when the speaker is perceived blabbering, one loses interest in the message...even when the message is so important.

Media Marches On

Coach Cubas — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 03:10:37 EDT

This posting was a reaction to Missteps in a Campaign August 24, 2008

To My Fellow American Colleagues,

We were on the silly side of petty in responding to McCain's real estate woes. These arguments come across as so petty on the 20th round of punditry! Showing McCain is out of touch is a no brainer. The mistake in the arguments is punishing people for being wealthy or marrying "well." That's hypocritical. George Stephanopolis kept pounding on this issue until it sounded ridiculous. The continuous pounding by talking heads actually does more to derail messages that are perceived to be corrected. It confuses the issues.

The Roosevelt’s and Kennedy's did so well with their message of public service. Everyone knew they were wealthy, not to mention the bootlegging legacy from which it came. They delivered for the public. Their actions spoke louder than words.

How many houses McCain owns is a non-issue. A bigger issue is how people read Barack's response to Rick Warren's question on when life begins. Unfortunately, the populace isn't good at nuance so the "above my pay grade" comment went over their heads. That's why Republicans position Barack as elitist; he has a vocabulary and speaks in complex sentences. During the Rick Warren program when you compare McCain's clipped answers to Obama's thoughtful musings you see what I mean.

The American public has a short attention span. (Think 30 frames per second. And, you can thank Sesame Street for that.) Plus, the media has created sound bites and combined the online style of reporting and blogs can be dangerous. We all need to wake up and view the landscape for what it is. This is not about punishing wealthy people. When statements about "re-distribution of wealth" rears its head, it can be miscontrued as socialistic or communistic.

Real change requires courage to take a stand for a vision. A vision, by its nature, is ephemeral. The challenge is moving the vision to manifest and ask the questionable questions and say the unspeakable things.

Let's shift gears NOW! It's getting late. If you have doubts, ask yourself why this race is so close if the Bush years are so disgusting. Rather than focus on "gotcha's" and who was right, let's structure a path people can follow. Obama is sometimes too vague for the average bear. He must use more concrete language to create a mental image for a steel worker or stay-at-home mom. For example, driving the Ivy-League credentials is an example. Mainstream Americans are lucky to go to community college let alone Harvard. Biden is capable of this language.

From my coach training, I would like to offer a tip: Clients often talk about a topic, not the emotions or depth of the feeling beneath the topic. That's what I see us doing. Get to the heart of it, relate emotionally, not intellectually. It's more about how people feel about themselves when they can't feed their families, not that they can't feed their families.

We would do well to adopt Thom Hartmann's philosophy about framing the argument. I'm a staunch Democrat and believe Thom Hartmann, http://www.thomhartmann.com/, when it comes to framing the conversation. His book, Cracking the Code, could be our handbook. It's brilliant.

Please let me know how I may serve. Our future is at stake.

Best regards,
Michelle Cubas, Enterprise Business Coach

Palin: Wrong Woman, Wrong Message

Nia "Hussein" J. — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:28:45 EDT

Palin: wrong woman, wrong message
Sarah Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Hillary Clinton. She is Phyllis Schlafly, only younger.
By Gloria Steinem
September 4, 2008

Here's the good news: Women have become so politically powerful that even the anti-feminist right wing -- the folks with a headlock on the Republican Party -- are trying to appease the gender gap with a first-ever female vice president. We owe this to women -- and to many men too -- who have picketed, gone on hunger strikes or confronted violence at the polls so women can vote. We owe it to Shirley Chisholm, who first took the "white-male-only" sign off the White House, and to Hillary Rodham Clinton, who hung in there through ridicule and misogyny to win 18 million votes.

But here is even better news: It won't work. This isn't the first time a boss has picked an unqualified woman just because she agrees with him and opposes everything most other women want and need. Feminism has never been about getting a job for one woman. It's about making life more fair for women everywhere. It's not about a piece of the existing pie; there are too many of us for that. It's about baking a new pie.

Selecting Sarah Palin, who was touted all summer by Rush Limbaugh, is no way to attract most women, including die-hard Clinton supporters. Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Clinton. Her down-home, divisive and deceptive speech did nothing to cosmeticize a Republican convention that has more than twice as many male delegates as female, a presidential candidate who is owned and operated by the right wing and a platform that opposes pretty much everything Clinton's candidacy stood for -- and that Barack Obama's still does. To vote in protest for McCain/Palin would be like saying, "Somebody stole my shoes, so I'll amputate my legs."

This is not to beat up on Palin. I defend her right to be wrong, even on issues that matter most to me. I regret that people say she can't do the job because she has children in need of care, especially if they wouldn't say the same about a father. I get no pleasure from imagining her in the spotlight on national and foreign policy issues about which she has zero background, with one month to learn to compete with Sen. Joe Biden's 37 years' experience.

Palin has been honest about what she doesn't know. When asked last month about the vice presidency, she said, "I still can't answer that question until someone answers for me: What is it exactly that the VP does every day?" When asked about Iraq, she said, "I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq."

She was elected governor largely because the incumbent was unpopular, and she's won over Alaskans mostly by using unprecedented oil wealth to give a $1,200 rebate to every resident. Now she is being praised by McCain's campaign as a tax cutter, despite the fact that Alaska has no state income or sales tax. Perhaps McCain has opposed affirmative action for so long that he doesn't know it's about inviting more people to meet standards, not lowering them. Or perhaps McCain is following the Bush administration habit, as in the Justice Department, of putting a job candidate's views on "God, guns and gays" ahead of competence. The difference is that McCain is filling a job one 72-year-old heartbeat away from the presidency.

So let's be clear: The culprit is John McCain. He may have chosen Palin out of change-envy, or a belief that women can't tell the difference between form and content, but the main motive was to please right-wing ideologues; the same ones who nixed anyone who is now or ever has been a supporter of reproductive freedom. If that were not the case, McCain could have chosen a woman who knows what a vice president does and who has thought about Iraq; someone like Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison or Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine. McCain could have taken a baby step away from right-wing patriarchs who determine his actions, right down to opposing the Violence Against Women Act.

Palin's value to those patriarchs is clear: She opposes just about every issue that women support by a majority or plurality. She believes that creationism should be taught in public schools but disbelieves global warming; she opposes gun control but supports government control of women's wombs; she opposes stem cell research but approves "abstinence-only" programs, which increase unwanted births, sexually transmitted diseases and abortions; she tried to use taxpayers' millions for a state program to shoot wolves from the air but didn't spend enough money to fix a state school system with the lowest high-school graduation rate in the nation; she runs with a candidate who opposes the Fair Pay Act but supports $500 million in subsidies for a natural gas pipeline across Alaska; she supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, though even McCain has opted for the lesser evil of offshore drilling. She is Phyllis Schlafly, only younger.

I don't doubt her sincerity. As a lifetime member of the National Rifle Assn., she doesn't just support killing animals from helicopters, she does it herself. She doesn't just talk about increasing the use of fossil fuels but puts a coal-burning power plant in her own small town. She doesn't just echo McCain's pledge to criminalize abortion by overturning Roe vs. Wade, she says that if one of her daughters were impregnated by rape or incest, she should bear the child. She not only opposes reproductive freedom as a human right but implies that it dictates abortion, without saying that it also protects the right to have a child.

So far, the major new McCain supporter that Palin has attracted is James Dobson of Focus on the Family. Of course, for Dobson, "women are merely waiting for their husbands to assume leadership," so he may be voting for Palin's husband.

Being a hope-a-holic, however, I can see two long-term bipartisan gains from this contest.

Republicans may learn they can't appeal to right-wing patriarchs and most women at the same time. A loss in November could cause the centrist majority of Republicans to take back their party, which was the first to support the Equal Rights Amendment and should be the last to want to invite government into the wombs of women.

And American women, who suffer more because of having two full-time jobs than from any other single injustice, finally have support on a national stage from male leaders who know that women can't be equal outside the home until men are equal in it. Barack Obama and Joe Biden are campaigning on their belief that men should be, can be and want to be at home for their children.

This could be huge.

Gloria Steinem is an author, feminist organizer and co-founder of the Women's Media Center. She supported Hillary Clinton and is now supporting Barack Obama.

For Once CNN was right

dharmas — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 10:02:50 EDT

Watched aC360 last night

Hillary and gergen were so on spot , with the democrats having all the reasons why they need to change the party in white house , they are NOT DOING ENOUGH

ATTACK the lies half truths and mis statements

what is the money for? make an add after each of palins or romeys or guilianni statements.

IF john stewart can find coverage to defeat them in their own words ,where is the DNC?

Axelrod was also incharge of KERRY who lost to the swift boat ad

now we have sara palin boat to drown us

Please attack dogs , state the reason OBAMA ran now , the country is in a mess , economy education, energy , health care, trade deficit, foreign policy

they are stealing your talking points now mcacain and palin are the ones with new energy policy

STOP THIS NOW

NO MORE DONATIONS TP OBAMA UNTILL THEY START MAKING A CASE OF SPECIFIC SOLUTIONS

ASLK HILLARY ASK SOMBIDY HOW TO DO IT "ENOUGH WITH HOPE TAlK

SELL THE SPECIFICS on HEALTH CARE, JOBS ,TAX BREAK ,CHEAP ENERGY,

HOW IS OBAMA GOIBG TO DELIVER THIS?

Rememeber we are also fighting bigotry so only when you offer certainity of plausible solution wiil the small town folks come around.

Delegate math / electoral vote map alone is not enough the momentum of obamamania has to be build up

they came up with a new jersey eventm while bon jovi's fundraiser got drowned out

it is not only about money

huckabbee went far with a few workers

spread your message , change the republiucan party not just bush policy, all republican no maverick no nothing no republican,

only DEMOCRATS CAN CHANGE THE COURSE ,

The world is a wonderful place...

Chuck — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:44:43 EDT

That is the opening line of a speech or TV Ad that I wish the Obama/Biden campaign would state every day. Think of all the great people out there. Think of all the great things that people everywhere do every day. Think of all the great things that people have done. Think of all the great things that we can do tomorrow and every day after that.

Think of all the greater things that people do when we work together.

We have to agree that there are conflicts at every level. From one-on-one conflicts, family conflicts, neighborhood conflicts, playground conflicts and international conflicts. But there are many examples of conflicts solved so the results become a cooperation for all parties to move on to accomplish great things together.

We don't need to be grounded in force or military action to have positive results. Obviously, nobody "wins" a war. We must be prepared in our minds to resolve conflicts peacefully rather than with military action. When a leader only knows through personal experience about war it is more likely that the solution proposed involves power and military force. "When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail."

We can be better than that and those of us who don't know how to resolve conflicts non-violently should start to learn.

That must be our message.

Isn't the Time Now??

Christopher Donshale Sims — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 18:34:28 EDT

After listening to Barack's Democratic Convention acceptance speech and message to the masses, if now is not the time, then I believe we will never have a chance to change our country and world. A time may come again, years later. But, we must take advantage of the opportunity of the energy, ideas and spirit involved in this historic campaign for the leadership of our country.

When has the last time this country felt so moved and inspired to be a part of such a movement?

When was the last time that you felt moved to work to take back politics in your local community, and national politics?

Are you saying too, "The time is now!"

Is your twelve year old daughter, or your elderly neighbor saying the same thing while you engage in political conversations?

As our children, the youth are moved by this campaign, let us think of them and empower their involvement and happiness as they view the Obama's on television, or listen to them speak at local rallies.

The time is now, for them just as much as it is for we adults.

Let us be encouraged and strengthened by his speech delivered on the 45th anniversary of MLK's
"I Have A Dream Speech."

The time is now, and we will understand and benefit from acting on this in the days to come.

Christopher Donshale Sims

Military Vote

Marcus-Vet-Dem-Deployed on 2nd 15 monther for OBAMA-BIDEN — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 02:21:11 EDT

After the last 8 years it still seems, surprisingly, that the military vote is swinging Republican. You would think after Iraq, Afghanistan, Walter Reed, and the healthcare scandals the military would be looking for a change in leadership.
The main argument seems to be that, "Bill Clinton cut the military in the '90s which is why we are short people today." But when I try to tell them the guy with the brilliant idea of drawing down the military was a SECDEF named Rumsfeld under his 1st tenure in the 80's I get nowhere. It is engrained in the military mythology that the democrats cut the military in the 90's when we didnt need a large military and they are going to do it again. No mention of 2xSECDEF Rumsfelds smaller leaner force. Or his compadre Cheney's involvement either.

The other issue seems to be this meme within the military that Republicans are better for National Security and the military. For instance, arguing with one of my cohorts the other day after John McCain announced his VP pick. He didn't even know that McCain had said he would keep us here (in Iraq) for "100, how about 1,000 years." After I told him that and someone else verified it for him his whole mood changed. Like I had just told him there was, indeed, no such thing as Santa Clause.

You used to find a disparity in the miiltary where the officers tend to be more conservative and the enlisted tend to be more liberal. This paradigm no longer pertains. Now there is no telling who is for what. You will find that the more time a person has spent deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, or the more that deployment has affected their life via injuries physical or mental that they tend to lean more Democrat in this election. I think it has more to do with the change agent than is has to do with party affiliation.

I dont think the false memes will ever be destroyed completely but I do feel that Obama and Biden could make significant headway in the military vote if they just keep forcing the message that they believe in a strong national defense. If they reiterate the plan to continue with increasing the size of the military and doubling the size of Special Operations Forces. I think a good show of faith would be considering keeping SECDEF Gates in place unless he wants to resign.

Obama's plan and regard for the military just hasn't penetrated. The historical memes put in place. It is something that will have to be reiterated over and over again. And visiting a large post like Fort Hood and holding a town hall meeting would go a long way. Especially since half of the post, like me, is deployed right now.

Didn't get the text message.

Geno from El Paso, TX — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 21:54:59 EDT

What a bummer!!!! None of my family got it either. We're all pretty bummed. However, Biden rocks and I'm extremely excited now that we are unstoppable! :)

Definite Poll Slippage - We need to attack

Simon Gornick — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:54:45 EDT

Saw a video of BO talking about how the GOP hate machine is wheeling into action but heard nothing from him on what he's going to do about it.

I know what we need to do about it.

Attack.

McCain is not a maverick. He voted for Bush 95% of the time. the 95% guy.

McCain is not a maverick. Because Mavericks hate lobbyists. And he loves 'em. Like Bush

McCain is trigger happy. Has a terrible temper. Can he be trusted to lead?

McCain is a Bush Baby. Except for his age of course. And his cancer.

McCain gets confused on the road. What will he do without Lieberman by his ear.

McCain is a flip flopper. no more straight talk express. it's the double talk express.

Start calling him John - he won't like it and we need to get a rise out of this guy.

Revive the McNasty nickname...

What about the fact that he's an elitist. His father and grandfather were both admirals.

and finally, release the ads to the press - make them get angry at BO. We need them to attack him for being tougher. people respect toughness.

and where are our simple talking points?

As for foreign policy experience. did bush have any when he was elected? or reagan?

As for being ready to lead. Bush had been governor of texas, one of the most meaningless governorships in the land. was he ready to lead?

being ready to lead is about ideas. It's about solid solutions for ordinary americans.

John, you say i don't have any foreign policy experience, (although i got to say, i do know my sunnis from my shiites, pal) and it's true i haven't been around as long as you, but here's my question to you?

Everyone thinks that the economy is the most important issue - so tell me about your economic policy experience, John. Huh? You don't have any?

It's about ideas. I have new ones. You're working with W's

they're trying to make this about BO - but we need to make it about McNasty.

------

get on message now

this election is about white working class voters. we need a message that focuses on them.

so let's keep the verbiage down, keep it simple, and get on message. Let's bring Bush into it.

we're for the little guy. we'll create jobs. we'll keep their taxes down.

the rich don't have to worry about recession. But McCain wants to lower their tax bills. Kind of like Bush did.

McCain loves corporations. You know, the guys who downsized your next door neighbor. Same friends that Bush had.

We have a healthcare plan that will create jobs and cover america. They want the same old nightmare. Like Bush

We're going to protect social security. They're going to try and destroy it. Like Bush

We have an energy plan that will give this nation options. McCain's all about oil. Like Bush

This isn't that hard guys - BO need to stay on message. Keep it simple. The people don't want windy speeches. They want bites.

Bush said all the right things to you guys - and what did he deliver. unemployment.

McCain's saying all the same things. What do you think he's going to deliver. More trouble.

Don't believe the snake oil, people.

------

The working class has to get to know BO

Get him out into the neighborhoods. we need to see him at walmart and the diners, impressing real people. We know he can handle a crowd, but nobody knows him. that needs to change.

Motivational Note

Friends of President Barack Obama — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:19:02 EDT

Even though it may not look like it or feel like it, you are making progress.

Continue working towards progress instead of perfection.

Nothing or no no one is perfect.

Just keep taking steps.

Keep making those phone calls.

Continue following your plan.

Remain focused on your goal.

Do what you have to do right now to get to the next level.

Complete every task.

Keep every promise and commitment.

Don't look back.

Stay on track.

Let no one weaken your walk of faith and determination.

Remain teachable.

Place yourself in a blessing position by associating with people on-the-grow.

Talk with teachers.

Walk with winners.

Climb with champions.

Study successful people.

Something great is about to happen for you!

Start giving thanks right now before you can even see the outward manisfestation of your prayers and desires.

Everything you do from this day forward will take you further away or closer to your potential for successful living.

-by Dr. Jewel Diamond Taylor, Motivational Speaker & Author

Action: Protect Women's Health - add your voice

RhOrdway — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:04:07 EDT

Can you imagine living in a place where birth control is considered an "abortion" and health insurers won't cover it? Where even rape victims are denied emergency contraception?

I just signed a message to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, whose department is considering this rule change, telling him: "Contraception is NOT abortion." Can you add your voice to this cause? Click here to sign the message: http://pol.moveon.org/contraception/?r_by=13468-9214852-E877iKx&rc=confemail

Stay on Message

George from Sayreville, NJ — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 22:05:49 EDT

Barack Obama began his historic campaign for the White House with the mantra that he will be for 'change we can believe in'. I, like many others threw my support behind him. I thought he carried a message of hope in these dire times. Throughout the campaign he hammered home that message so it resonated with millions nationwide.
Recently, however, my favorite candidate's campaign seems to be getting off track. The campaign seems to be caught in an endless loop of beating back negative ads by the McCain campaign, defending Mr. Obama over scurrilous allegations that question his patriotism and basically being rocked at the heels in a defensive posture.
We need to get back and STAY ON MESSAGE. The message of change that Mr. Obama consistently and eloquently articulated for so long is now being cast aside in favor of the media game of gotcha, where any hint of scandal or inappropriate comment is pounced on to the detriment of the message. Mr. Obama articulated a message of change that proposed to move away from the status quo, the partisan bickering that creates gridlock in Washington and grinds the task of governing this country to a halt. His call for change also proposed that he would not campaign using dirty tactics. The politics of old (the status quo) required that opponents tear each other apart during a campaign, escalating attacks until you had mutually assured destruction. The politics of old suggest that when your opponent brings a gun to a duel, you bring in a bigger gun (forget the fact that ANY gun can kill). How could you possibly get anything done when the loser and his/her party are left to scurry away and lick their wounds, while nursing psychic and emotional wounds that fester? I suggest, nay I implore the Obama campaign to get back to the message. The message that says we will not stoop to the crass, racially-coded methods of winning campaigns. We will stick to the message that says we want to build a better America, one that forges ahead through consensus and bipartisanship, where a good idea is just that, a good idea and not a Democratic nor a Republican one. Few people have talked about the fact the current administration is considering a time 'horizon' for bringing troops home from the Middle East, something the Obama campaign advocated from the get-go. If Bush administration is doing that to nullify the candidate's stance on the issue so they make it moot, so be it. There is no need to crow over something that makes sense even if you thought of it first. At least now, there is hope for the troops. Call it liberal, idealistic views if you will for you are entitled to that way of thinking thanks to the hard work and sacrifice of past generations.

However, do not forget that the message Barack Obama proposed from the beginning was not just eloquent, idealistic words. The message is a call to arms, a call for each citizen to really think about where this country is headed and whether we want the status quo. We should not succumb to the easy tactic of mud-slinging that assures damage to both sides. Mr. Bush won twice using those tactics, where winning at any cost was all that mattered. Where did his winning get us? We should stay on track and understand that the quest for change is a meaningful one, one that will have a positive impact on future generations If you think Mr. Obama cannot lead us to where the country needs to be, then by all means exercise your right and cast your vote where you see fit. The change he is advocating will one day come to pass.

Obama and the America We Can Believe In

Joe — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 15:41:04 EDT

In looking over the Obama campaign in the last few weeks, I felt that the message that the Senator has wanted to portray has become confused and harder to focus on.

There seems to be an undercurrent of Tit for Tat with the McCain campaign, much to the detriment of Senator Obama. I really believe there has to be a refocus in the campaign and an emphasis on the positive. Both Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan, presented a view of America that was positive in nature, and contrasted their views with those of the opposition Hoover in Roosevelt’s case and Carter in Reagan’s case.

It can begin with a slogan that simply says: Obama: For an America We can Believe In.

The message should be: 1) We have the tools that can get the job of getting America moving again, whether it is energy, healthcare, jobs etc. We have the means to do it. We just need the will to engage in getting the job done. 2) We and Obama have the courage to rise above the present situation and will lay out the goals necessary to get the job done.3) We believe and hope in ourselves.

As much as possible we need to focus less on the negative attacts of McCain and focus on the positive message that we present.

Engaging in less tit for Tat with McCain would make McCain less relevant, Let him try to respond to our message. He will end up as a ‘me too’ candidate, rather than a candidate on the move. Let him respond to what we are saying than us to his message.

If Obama and the Campaign use this kind of message in a forceful manner, there can be not doubt who will be the next president of the United States: Barrack Obama.

Getting the message out but clearly

Zebby — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 12:34:29 EDT

I saw the following post at another site and find it very relevant to what I have been seeing in the polls recently.

Yesterday I briefly talked about the simple facts and simplicity of the Republicans. I felt the need to expand a little more as this simplicity is one of the reasons I believe the Republican party has had more presidents in the last 40 years.

Most Americans, like many other citizens of democracies, are not politically educated. I am not talking about formal education as I have friends with Masters Degrees that cannot tell me anything about the presidential candidates or political parties.

This was illustrated to me a few weeks ago at a birthday party. A few of us started to talk presidential politics. Everyone in the group was talking about Obama. I asked the questions “

What do you think of John McCain”. One of my friends said “Who”. He did not know who he was. I had to explain Enough said…back to the point of simplicity.

The Republicans have honed their beliefs and policies into 3-4 word sentences while the Democrats have a thesis for what they believe because they want to appeal to all. For example, Abortion, Republicans are “Against Abortion” (2 sentences) for Democrats “We are pro-womens right even though we think abortion is a terrible thing” (This is the short version depending on the Democrat).

Another example, smaller government and less taxes (Republicans). Government should not be the fix it all but should help it’s citizens (Democrats). You can automatically know what Republicans are for because of these simple snippets.

These easy to remember snippets appeal to the politically un-educated who make up the majority of the electorate in the US. The messages is tweaked especially for those residents in the “Red State” who are the working class. They don’t have time to dissect longs policy statements. As they say “keep it simple stupid”.

I think it is relevant because it appears that Obama's message is not getting through the clutter that is being created by Republicans. There is no doubt in my mind that Obama is the better candidate however MacCain is gaining ground due to the fear mongering among Republicans. I believe that if Obama simlified his message he would do better with the electorate.

Case in point, republicans say they are pro life however I do not believe the republican party would ever make abortions illegal. By Democrats adopting a pro women's right to choose position they have set themselves up for republicans to label them as pro abortion.

I think immigration holds a key to revitalizing our economy. It is lost on a great number of Americans that a lot of blue collar jobs cannot be filled by US residents who have been in the country for more than say 10 years. Why, because we think we are too good for these jobs or the legal residents who could fill these positions are not hungry enough to perform well in them. Yes there are exceptions but we can not build a country on exceptions. Having had my own flooring business for over ten years I have some experience in this area.

Lifting the trade embargo against Cuba is something that should be highlighted in the campaign. With this a clear message should be communicated. First off if we can have normal relations with Russia why the heck not with Cuba. Secondly think of the trade possibilities. South Florida would boom, just make sure English is spoken.

I do not like GW Bush as a person because I think he is first of all stupid, a liar and lacking in ethics. However I do give him credit for No Child Left Behind, his HIV policies in Africa and his attempt to reform our immigration policies. Just like Obama proposed speaking with our enemy Iran (and Bush was quick to adopt albeit somewhat quietly) I believe in giving the devil his due and Obama should do so publicly in my opinion. Nothing like disarming your opponents. I know No Child Left Behind is not a perfect program but it was a start and it should be seen as something we build on.

There you have it on some of my views, now let's hear from you, yes you...

I am most interested in how do we effect change through the channels available to us.

Disney Springs Eternal

Ben — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 08:45:55 EDT

I was watching Meet the Press, as I am each Sunday, when a conservative columnist was quoted as saying Sen. Obama's message of unity and global cooperation was "Disney." Instantly, I thought to myself, "So, this is where we are in our culture. We have reached a level of cynicism so powerful that we reject the very notion of unity." But, perhaps that isn's the case. I, for one, love the idea of unity and cooperation and I am thrilled to have a candidate who says the words and actually means them. A concept that Cruella de Columnist obviously cannot wrap his dark mind around. But, it makes sense that conservatives would seek to keep this level of disbelief alive, it the same fear and uncertainty that led us to 8 years of our current nightmare. So, instead of promoting a nice and happy idea like unity, these conservative fear peddlers would rather sit in their dimly lit corners and tell us that we cannot believe Sen. Obama because it is all too "Disney" to be real. Well folks, I don't know about you but I think I'll go with the Disney end of this debate. Mickey Mouse never started an unjust war and I haven't yet heard Cinderella making jokes about the economy while people lose their homes. Hope and unity are not imaginary or empty ideas. They are not illusions or foreign concepts. Tis country needs to believe that better things are possible and that we truly can achieve a more positive and uplifitng future. That isn't going to happen under the shadow of these pundits and politicians who tell us that hope is too "Disney." Sen. Obama has opened up a door to possibilities that we never thought possible-let's give it the chance and belief it desrves. A little less cynicism and a little more optimism, or a "Spoonful of Sugar," as Disney would say. . .

The Democrats can take over the Family Values high ground

Adam Keck — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:08:48 EDT

I made a commercial for the election.

I did what I could with what I have:

The G.O.P. Legacy

The commercial describes failure of the right to support family values by creating an economy in which only the rich can live.

-Adam

Why Are We Helping the GOP?!

Nia "Hussein" J. — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:19:30 EDT

Progressives Must Guard Against Helping to Promote Republican Narrative That Alleges Obama "Flip Flops"

By Robert Creamer via www.huffingtonpost.com

The Republican spin machine is locked and loaded to promote the notion that Barack Obama is a "flip flopper." Four years ago it was their principal line of attack against Kerry and it worked like a charm.

In 2004, the goal of this narrative was to convince swing voters that Kerry had no core values -- that his positions and commitments were blown by the winds of public opinion just as he was blown right and left in the notorious campaign ad of Kerry wind-surfing.

Not long after the 2004 election, I was in a New Jersey taxicab. The driver was a typical male New Jersey cabbie. "So what do you think of Corzine?" I asked. "Oh, Corzine, tough guy. Like him," he replied about the then-Senator.

"What do you think of Bush?" I asked. "Like him too. Tough guy. Stands up for what he believes," came the answer.

"What about Kerry?" I asked. "Kerry? Can't stand him. Flip-flopper."

People want leaders who are firmly committed to their values. The key thing that affected the New Jersey cabbie's view wasn't the positions or views of the candidates. It was whether they stood up for what they believed. There are many independent voters just like him.

I believe that John Kerry has very clear values, but he left himself open to be defined to swing voters as if he didn't.

Barack Obama is firmly committed to progressive values that contrast sharply with the values implicit in necon foreign policy and dog-eat-dog, survival-of-the-fittest Bush-McCain economic policies.

Obama is much less likely than Kerry was to allow himself to be characterized as a flip-flopper without core values, because his entire campaign is rooted in the discussion of values. It has drawn very sharp distinctions with Republicans on the critical symbolic questions of Iraq, the economy and health care. But that won't keep Republicans from doing everything they can to try to make Obama look like he is a "typical politician" without a moral core the same way they did with Kerry.

Last week's near-frenzy in the media over Obama's alleged "move to the center" on Iraq had no substance whatsoever. It was fed, virtually entirely, by the Republican National Committee and the McCain campaign that simply asserted that his statements on Iraq represented a "change " from earlier positions. That narrative was picked up and parroted by various media pundits as if it were true.

Unfortunately, some Progressives fell prey to the media wave and actually gave credence to this non-story, when the fact is that Obama has consistently supported ending the war in Iraq and withdrawing all combat troops within 16 months, at a pace that is responsive to the situation on the ground.

Progressives have to remember that the Republicans don't care about the nuances of these issues. Their goal is simple: make Obama look like he is changing his position.

All Progressives don't agree with every position Barack Obama has taken, but the fact is that very few of his positions have changed since the campaign began.

Progressives who disagree with Barack Obama but at the same time don't want to help Republicans usher in a third Bush term need to remember three things:

1). Go right ahead and disagree with an Obama position or statement -- but disagree on the substance. Don't impute some venal motive. Remember that even when you disagree with him on an issue or policy, Obama shares our progressive values.

2). Don't reinforce the Republican narrative that Obama is a "flip flopper." Disagreeing with an Obama position is very different from arguing that he agreed with you once, but now has changed positions just to win favor with the voters. First, that is generally wrong. Second, if Obama emphasizes one aspect of a position instead of another in order to attract a particular group of voters, that does not mean he "changed" his position. Third, remember that the Republicans are desperate to get Progressives to confirm their narrative and convince guys like my New Jersey taxi driver to elect John McCain.

3). Remember that there is a huge gulf between the values of Obama and McCain. Obama stands clearly in the progressive tradition of giving every human being equal opportunity to fulfill their potential. McCain stands squarely on the side of ultra-conservative values that protect the power and prerogatives of the wealthiest among us.

Obama stands firmly against the neocon foreign policies of preemptive war and unilateral action that lay at the root of the worst American foreign policy disaster in a generation. McCain stands just as firmly for the neocon vision and the Bush approach to the rest of the world.

Obama believes that economic growth happens from the bottom up and doesn't trickle down on the rest of us. He supports the rights of workers to organize to defend their standard of living, and a world where we're all in this together, not all in this alone. McCain intends to continue Bush's economic policies that have assured that all of the economic growth in the last seven years has gone to the wealthiest 1% of Americans.

Obama understands that our world faces the greatest environmental crisis in history as we seek to prevent human beings from altering our climate. First and foremost, John McCain's loyalties lie with the oil industry.

We need to remember that John McCain's campaign is managed by lobbyists from the biggest special interests in America, while Barack Obama understands the need to mobilize tens of millions of Americans to change Washington from the ground up.

Progressives should go right ahead and question Obama's positions on issues -- and they should continue to hold him accountable when he is elected president. But remember that the Republicans are desperate to convince independent voters that Obama is "just another politician" whose values flow from the latest poll instead of his own commitment to principle. Don't help them. If you do you will be wrong, and you will also help the Republicans fulfill their unthinkable fantasy of a third Bush term.

* My Words*

I've come to the conclusion that we have this "problem" because we think of Obama as a two dimensional politician when he is actually three dimensional, if not more. A very easy thing to do when in the past all we had were two dimensional politicians. It's time for us to keep up with the times, the changes we are going to see and stop allowing ourselves and other to over simplify our Next President, Mr Obama. As he has said all along that he wants us to change how we think of politics in general. It isn't about Repulican, democrate, black or white, far right or far left. It's about us...all of us and thinking outside of our normal two dimensional political box. We have to stay on message and know it like the back of our hand. In the coming months the Repuglicans will spoend millions of dollars to make Obama out to be ssomething he is not which is a typical two deminsional politician; even using his own words from his books. We can't allow it.

"La campagne de Barack Obama est l'incarnation de son message"

Adoyo — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:53:04 EDT

[From Le Monde]

Lors d'une conférence donnée à Sciences Po Paris, Dave Senay, le CEO [chef exécutif] de la compagnie de communication institutionnelle Fleishman Hillard est revenu sur les innovations de la campagne de Barack Obama en matière de communication politique.

Selon Dave Senay, l'apparition de la publicité politique à la télévision avait instauré une distance entre le public et la campagne : les équipes se concentraient sur une petite élite capable de financer les spots télévisés qui atteindraient ensuite l'ensemble de la population, plutôt que sur un échange personnel avec les électeurs potentiels. Mais "les nouvelles avancées technologiques ont permis aux campagnes de repasser dans un face-à-face avec les électeurs, même s'il a lieu dans un monde virtuel".

HOWARD DEAN, PRÉCURSEUR DE BARACK OBAMA

Le premier candidat à avoir utilisé les ressources d'Internet aux Etats-Unis est Howard Dean, en 2004, en créant meetup.com pour permettre à ses supporters online de se rencontrer. Barack Obama a réussi là où Howard Dean a échoué, en transformant l'enthousiasme du monde virtuel en action dans le monde réel.

Dave Senay estime qu'Howard Dean n'avait pas les outils dont dispose M. Obama mais qu'il a tiré le maximum de ceux dont il disposait à l'époque. "Barack Obama permet aux électeurs de faire partie à part entière de l'équipe de campagne, ce qui était inimaginable pour l'époque d'Howard Dean, or cette évolution a été rendue possible par l'explosion des réseaux sociaux : en 2004, Facebook n'était qu'un jeu pour quelques étudiants d'Harvard, Myspace venait à peine d'être lancé et Youtube n'existait pas encore."

LE SYSTÈME OBAMA

Pour M. Senay, le succès de la communication politique de Barack Obama se résume en trois avantages : d'abord, tout comme Ronald Reagan était le candidat de la télévision, Barack Obama est parfaitement adapté au média Internet : "Il est jeune, débrouillard, charismatique, beau, bon communicant, bref c'est un bon produit."

Ensuite, sa campagne dispose d'une réelle expertise des réseaux sociaux, en ayant notamment engagé Chris Hughes, l'un des fondateurs de Facebook. En plus de gérer avec beaucoup d'attention le compte Facebook et le compte Myspace du sénateur, son équipe a créé son propre réseau social, mybarackobama.com, où sont inscrits plus d'un million de participants.

Enfin, la communication de Barack Obama donne à l'électeur l'impression qu'il est un responsable à part entière de la campagne du candidat. Et Dave Senay de citer en exemple un de ses amis qui, la semaine précédente, a croisé une dame à Washington DC brandissant une pancarte sur laquelle on pouvait lire "Vente de gâteaux pour Obama". La politique redevient personnelle, l'équipe de campagne guidant et donnant les outils aux supporters pour qu'ils s'investissent dans la direction souhaitée.

Ce système s'est avéré plus que profitable pour les primaires : "Les caucus ont montré l'efficacité de la campagne basée sur les réseaux sociaux en ligne. Il y fallait plus de supporters à un moment critique où un plus petit nombre de gens pouvait influencer un résultat très important."

OBAMA INCARNE SON MESSAGE

Le secret du succès de Barack Obama réside aussi dans le fait que son message, résumé dans le seul mot "Change" (changement), est très attractif. D'après un sondage réalisé par MSNBC et le Wall Street Journal le 11 juin, 54 % des Américains estiment que les Etats-Unis "sont à un moment où il est important de chercher une personne qui apportera de gros changements aux politiques actuelles, même si cette personne a moins d'expérience". De plus, 42 % pensent qu'il vaut mieux une personne "plus expérimentée, même si cette personne apporte moins de changements aux politiques actuelles".

D'après Dave Senay, si le changement gagne contre l'expérience "c'est parce que Barack Obama et sa campagne incarnent son message", les nouvelles technologies permettant aux gens de changer la dynamique de la campagne en y participant. M. Obama lui-même ne s'attendait pas à cette interaction, comme il l'expliquait début juin : "Je n'anticipais pas à quel point nous pourrions utiliser Internet pour capter notre base 'grassroots' sur les plans financier et organisationnel. Je pense que ça a été l'une des plus grandes surprises de la campagne, à quel point notre message a fusionné avec le 'réseautage' social et le pouvoir d'Internet."

Si l'équipe de campagne du sénateur parvient à étendre cette fusion, "à inclure les 18 millions de supporters d'Hillary Clinton dans le message", alors "sa présence en ligne représentera un outil très puissant pour les élections générales également".

UNE STRATÉGIE DE COMMUNICATION AVEC DES RISQUES

Ce nouveau modèle de communication implique d'abandonner une certaine dose de contrôle puisque la campagne est menée par de nombreux intervenants qui ne sont pas sous les ordres directs de stratèges. Face à l'opportunité d'atteindre un public sans le filtre des médias traditionnels, demeure le risque de voir le système se retourner contre Barack Obama.

Lundi 30 juin, le New York Times a relayé les plaintes de blogueurs anti-Obama qui se pensent censurés par Google. Ces blogueurs hébergés par Google ont reçu un e-mail la semaine précédente, expliquant que leurs sites avaient été identifiés comme des spams potentiels. D'après les blogueurs, Google a été victime des activistes pro-Obama, qui se sont servis d'une faille du système Google pour qualifier les blogs de spams. Jusqu'à maintenant, la campagne Obama a réussi à se positionner comme non responsable des actions de ses supporters, mais le camp républicain pourrait chercher à tirer profit du manque de contrôle de l'équipe démocrate sur ses électeurs.

D'autre part, même si la campagne du candidat est très innovatrice, "elle est toujours menée du haut vers le bas. Barack Obama met tous ses supporters dans le même train que lui, mais ceux assis au fond du train n'ont toujours rien à dire sur la manière dont le véhicule avance. Ils pourraient en vouloir à Obama, avoir l'impression que la campagne n'en veut qu'à leur vote et pas à leurs idées", estime Dave Senay.

Si le sénateur est élu et qu'il ne fait pas ce que les gens attendent de lui, le mécanisme qui l'a porté au sommet pourrait bien le descendre. Barack Obama a déjà pu s'en rendre compte quand des internautes énervés ont créé un groupe au sein même de mybarackobama.com pour lui demander de tenir sa parole, et de voter contre une loi accordant l'immunité aux compagnie de télécommunication ayant collaboré à des écoutes ordonnées par le gouvernement Bush.

Cécile Dehesdin

Dear Senator Obama

fmfyguy — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 01:01:22 EDT

You wrote inspiring books and gave a number of inspiring speeches. You brought out many new voters and lit a bright fire under otherwise dormant non-participants. What a wonderful thing that WAS.

Now that you have the nomination in the bag, you have started the real campaign with those seasoned professional advisers (who advised past losers) and some new big donors. What an awful thing that can be.

"Message" is the key. It defines your values and your vision. Message MUST BE YOU and it must be the underlying frame for those you will attract to your candidacy. So why screw it up by mixing your metaphors or tripping over your real values as you try to woo those who will not be wooed by your actual values?

Do you think, for a moment, that you're going to win over Jessie Helms' supporters? Do you think there is a NeoCon alive that is going to vote for you? Do you think that those who would resent any black person even sharing their food is going to vote for you? So, who is it you're bending over so far backwards that you could kiss your own backside that you're attracting to your "cause"?

Your power is the NEW VOTERS plus the old reliable progressives plus the disenfranchised whiners plus those voters who are just so sick of what America is becoming that they'd vote for Elmer Fudd if he were running. And, let's include in those new voters those young women and people of color who notoriously haven't participated before because they can't identify with any candidate or any party.

FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE STICK TO THE MESSAGE THAT ACTUALLY REFLECTS YOUR VALUES SO WE CAN ALL KNOW WHO THE HELL YOU ARE!!@!@ And NEVER use the Conservative's metaphors. Start changing the language to be a Progressive Language and Progressive Metaphors.

A Poem

Reid — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:04:07 EDT

Have been reading some things about keeping the message focused, stay on message - sounds a lot like trying to create a thing people are capable of believing in, a thing they can understand and take to heart and say: "Barack believes in this, and I understand it." It's not a real thing, not very close to the real Barack, but it's something they can understand and believe and get behind. If we're lucky, it has enough to do with the real Barack that what they're doing in its name is not a lie.

Just read a poem by Al Maarri (translated by Ameen Rihani) that makes me feel cleansed from the "message". See what you think:

Tread lightly, for a thousand hearts unseen
Might now be beating in this misty green;
Here are the herbs that once were pretty cheeks,
Here the remains of those that once have been.

Afearing whom I trust I gain my end,
But trusting, without fear, I lose, my friend;
Much better is the Doubt that gives me peace,
Than all the Faiths which in hell-fire may end.

Among us some are great and some are small,
Albeit in wickedness, we're masters all;
Or, if my fellow men are like myself,
The human race shall always rise and fall.

The air of sin I breathe without restraint;
With selfishness my few good deeds I taint;
I come as I was moulded and I go,
But near the vacant shrine of Truth I faint.

A church, a temple, or a Kaba Stone,
Koran or Bible or a martyr's bone -
All these and more my heart can tolerate
Since my religion now is Love alone.

I can't add to that.

Reid

the message of native americans

mikie — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:22:28 EDT

read this web page ....

http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/zinncol1.html

here is a good passage ...

" So, Columbus and his successors were not coming into an empty wilderness, but into a world which in some places was as densely populated as Europe itself, where the culture was complex, where human relations were more egalitarian than in Europe, and where the relations among men, women, children, and nature were more beautifully worked out than perhaps any place in the world. "

barack should give this message to the people of the united states of america ... we can do great things ... lets look to what this country can be .....

Send a Pictorial Greeting to Sen. Obama's Campaign

Southeast Shelby County for Obama — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 02:43:14 EDT

Unite for Change events are sprouting up all over Shelby County. Volunteers are busy organizing online and on the ground as we head towards the General Election. The June 28th events provide a good opportunity for us to let Sen. Obama know that Shelby County, TN is Obama country.

We invite you to send a Pictorial Greeting to the Obama Campaign with a photo of your Unite for Change event and a short message.

It's easy, here's how:

(1) Take a photo of your Unite for Change event (digital format required).

(2) Go to http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/actioncenter/submitphotosandvideo/

New Erie PA Forum

Andrew Vivier — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 13:54:27 EDT

Hello Erieites,

Just wanted to let you know I started up a new Erie Forum where we can discuss Obama or chat about anything Erie.

Solidarity

Gerry Filippatos — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:51:58 EDT

I think a strong unifying message that incorporates the notions of (a) "the fierce urgency of now" for change; (b) "the audacity of hope" that we can overcome what divides us; and (c) the achievement of a "more perfect union" that has almost evaded this generation is the message of "solidarity". Solidarity that we must stand together as a nation -- solid in our commitment to the world and our citizens with respect to civil rights and liberties; solid in our promise to our parents and our children that we will do our utmost to better our country and ourselves through hard and honest work and to preserve our planet through responsible stewardship; solid in our belief that by looking ahead at what promise to be our successes instead of turning back to relive our recent failures, we will see the America that unites us all in the simple elegant beauty of shared peace and prosperity, a beauty that the world can behold as the solitary shining beacon of light in a world struggling for enlightenment. Solidarity in America the Beautiful -- red, white, blue, black, brown, yellow, green, and purple with pride!

Bread & butter, but lofty bread & butter

Jeff Govendo — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:32:23 EDT

As we move into the general election, we're hearing a lot about the need for Barack to get specific in his appeals to blue collar, working class, lunch bucket Democrats. Yes, fine.. I agree. But not at the expense of the lofty ideals he communicated at the start of the primaries, which made him so magnetic to so many. People do want to know exactly what he plans to do in healthcare, the war, the environment, and so on, but Barack's strength is his rhetoric, his ability to inspire. Somehow he must move forward by merging these qualities. His success at this would make him an irresistible candidate.

Message to the Corporate Media

EMK — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 19:27:55 EDT

To the MSM:

Right now, I am watching the CBS Evening News, and I have been seeing it on MSNBC and CNN, you, the corporate media, are desperately trying to promote HRC for VP.

Now look: you, the coporate media, are supposed to report the news, not to report spin.

I sincerely hope that the HRC supporters will come to Sen. Obama because he is a genuine person who continued to stay on message, even with all the controversies[sic] you, the corporate media, brought upon Sen. Obama since the March 4 primaries. I am well aware that you, the corporate media, have more in store for him after the votes are counted in Montana and South Dakota, and I have this point:

I have observed Obama and I have seen the sincere desire to bring change and stand up against the special interests and the coporations they represent!

I recommend that you, the coporate media start to bring up issues that affect the people by talking about NAFTA, the economy, civil liberties, and health care.

I dare the you, the corporate media, to report on these bills:

S. 1959

H. R. 676

H.R. 5405

H. Con. Res. 40

I sincerely hope the HRC supporters will take a sincere look at Sen. Obama's message and will come to see who Sen. Obama really is, regardless of all the ridiculous media smear tactics you, the coroporate media, have brought upon him.

Is it enough that you, the corporate media, have forced Sen. Obama and his family to leave his church because you, the corporate media, have biased your media reports over his pastors, even when Sen. McCain's is given only a once-over?

Is it enough that you, the coporate media, have reported inaccurate stories about Sen. Obama at critical times, thus contributing to some of the votes that she won in those states?

Is it enough that you, the corporate media, did not seriously report about President Bush's visit to New Orleans with the leaders of Canada and Mexico, a critically important meeting that "We, the People" should be thoroughly aware of until late that evening, while the majority of the reports were about the Pennsylvania Primaries during the day?

Again, I ask -- no, I demand -- in the interest of fairness to Sen. Obama, if you are going to report about the possible VP options, that you, the corporate media, should recognize that Sen. Obama has more than HRC to consider.

In addition, I ask -- no, I demand -- in the interest of fairness to all people of all faiths, that you, the corporate media, keep religion and politics separate, and if you will report on the opinions of a pastor for any reason, you will cite the entire sermon without spin.

Furthermore, I ask -- no, I demand -- in the interest of free speech that you, the coporate media, report on issues that have been underreported, like the bills that I have just mentioned.

Frankly, it is time that independent media, and the Internet should be recognized for its democratizing potential and a medium for free speech, and I believe that all media should be nonprofit. Enough is enough!

This message is the opinion and viewpoint of myself, and cannot be considered the opinions of Sen. Obama, ObamaHQ, or of any other blogger and/or supporter on this site other than me. Anything implying otherwise is innacurate.

Sincerely,

EMK

MoveOn Contest Has A Winner

Carole@www.Americans-Away-From-Home.com — Mon, 12 May 2008 21:47:03 EDT

MoveOn.org had a contest to make a 30-second video for Obama. 5.5 million votes were cast for the top ten entries, from over 1,000 videos submitted. Celebrity judges, including Oliver Stone, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, John Legend, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, and Robert F. Kennedy's daughter, Rory Kennedy, chose winners from over 1,000 videos sent in.

Today MoveOn announced the winner: "Obamacan." In the ad, a former Air Force Staff Sergeant talks about Obama's talent for reaching out to Republicans as well as Democrats, saying, "I’ve been a Republican since before I could actually vote–and I’m voting for Barack Obama."

Members of the UK Obama Meetup star in their own contest entry. See the winning video and Read more here.

Carole

Message to my friends and family

Brett from Indianapolis, IN — Fri, 02 May 2008 13:39:52 EDT

Just wanted to share an e-mail I have sent to my friends and family. This is going over very well, so I think it is something that all of you should do to really ring in some of those undecided voters while the May 6th primaries are coming up. My very Republican mom has officially been swayed the way to Barack Obama thanks to this message. Feel free to steal this from me as well if you don't have time to write your own.

-----

I write to you all today about something that is very important to me. With the growing urgency of the Democratic Presidential Primaries coming up in Indiana and NC on May 6th, and Kentucky on May 20th, I wanted to write to my friends and family to urge them to vote for Barack Obama, in these coming contests. In my life, there has never been a candidate that has even come close to matching the true genuineness and honesty that Sen. Obama shows in portraying a real want for change in Washington.

For those who know me well, you know that I've never really gotten into politics, voting here and there, but never actually participating in the process itself. This election season, however, I have found it necessary to do whatever I can to make this happen. This includes volunteering at my local Obama headquarters, knocking on doors, making calls to undecided voters, and donating what little I can afford.

I'm not asking that anybody take sides with Sen. Obama just because I said so. I ask that you do some research, and I am confident you will find the quality in him that I find so likable. To make it easier on you, I have made a list of the issues I find most important to his campaign. You can check for yourself at Obama's Blueprint for Change on his Web-site here… http://www.barackobama.com/issues/

- As said before, Obama truly is genuine and honest, and has not taken a dime from Political Action Committees, or lobbyists that have shaped how our country has been run for so long. In this way, Obama will answer to the people, not a corporation with their own money hungry agendas.

- Obama is the only candidate who has opposed this war in Iraq since the very beginning. He had the sense from day one that this war was immoral, for reasons unfound. No matter what your political views are, you can't argue with the fact that 28% of America still support George Bush, mainly because of this war. If you consider yourself at this time to be a McCain supporter, ask yourself if you would still be supporting him if you had kids or family members over in Iraq, as he is suggesting we have a presence over there for another 100 years.

- Obama speaks from his heart and does not pander to the American people just to get votes. Hillary has been going up and down this country speaking in southern accents when in the South, taking shots in PA, and finding a city in just about every state and somehow finding a way to make it her 'hometown.' Just recently Hillary and McCain have supported a 'Gas Tax Holiday' in which gas would not be taxed over the summer months. On the surface this sounds great, until you realize that you'd only save enough money for approximately half a tank of gas over a 3 month period, while forcing construction workers out of jobs and putting a further strain on our economy. Obama realized this from the start and is the only candidate that is not pandering to Americans on this issue, for the sole reason to hope they don't do their research and figure out for themselves that this is not an acceptable solution for the gas problem we are currently facing.

- Obama has a sound Healthcare plan that can surely work with a few tweaks once he puts it into effect. The thing I find most compelling about his Healthcare plan is the fact that he wants to do away with Pre-existing conditions. For those of you who knows anyone who has been sick before, you know that pre-existing conditions make it extremely hard for that person to get picked up by insurance companies, long after the sickness has subsided. As some of you know, my mother was diagnosed with Breast Cancer my senior year of high school. After fighting the disease until it was no longer in her body, she has always had problems with insurance companies because of this disease she got rid of over 7 years ago, due to this thing called Pre-existing conditions.

I could go on and on, as for reasons why I support Barack Obama to be the next President of the United States of America, but I will not waste anymore of your time. I am always open to discuss this with people and would love to talk to all of you in more depth about it if you so wish. You can always reach me at 765-490-9730 or my e-mail address of bretthow@gmail.com.

Lastly, I ask that you send this to all your friends and family as well. I'd like to get this out to as many people as possible before the Indiana, and NC primaries on May 6th. Even if you don't agree with me, please at least let others decide. And for those that do disagree with anything I've said about anything, please bring it to my attention and I'd love to address it. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing back from you with your thoughts.

Brett Howard

bretthow@gmail.com

765-490-9730

Barack: Tweak the message just a little, please?

Wayne — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 15:21:38 EDT

There are some groups that lean more toward Hillary but whose minds can still be changed. Why are they resistant to Barack’s message of hope and change? Continued pounding on the "change" message won’t generate a different result with blue collar workers, the over-65 crowd, high school educated, Catholics, or those earning under $50,000. Is there some way to tweak the message to draw them in? I think so.

How Can We “Seal the Deal”?

Dossevi from Snellville, GA — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:04:19 EDT

Walter Shapiro writes in today's edition of Salon.com: "Obama is the first insurgent candidate in memory who has not come up with a new issue to challenge the establishment favorite. (Clinton's 2002 vote to permit the Iraq war was part of the background of the campaign before Obama decided to run.) By predicating almost his entire campaign on inspiration and process (he can reform the broken system in Washington and Clinton cannot), Obama has deliberately forsaken bread-and-butter issues as a means of persuasion"

I would contend that this analysis is a very powerful insight into the reasons why our campaign is often times at risk of being derailed by our opponents' relentless attempts to redefine Barack Obama's character, background, or values. By not emphasizing a vision of concrete action, we allow our opponents to continue to exploit anything, even if remotely controversial, that can be dug from our candidate's words, deeds, or past associations.

Beyond its current uplifting, inspirational words and much-debated policy statements in terms of healthcare, education, and ending the war in Iraq, this campaign needs to spell out a few, concise, defining issues that we are ready to champion and carry into the general election. Failing to do so will mean allowing what Barack himself calls "distractions" to derail his message and ultimately endanger his run for the presidency.

Weighing a few powerful ideas that could serve as the basis of such issue-driven campaign will be the subject of my next posting. But in the meantime, please let us hear what you think.

Converting Clintonites

Wayne — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:28:36 EDT

Obama can't close because voters DON'T want change. Not all voters, of course. He has attracted and inspired those of us who yearn for change. But who are we? And who are the Democrats that support Hillary? And why do they resist his clear clarion call for change?

Our common understanding

Marie — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:12:17 EDT

If more people understood this message:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aruCyWcnz3g&watch_responseThen they could understand Hillary's behavior is totally unacceptable for our party. Now she wants to put McCain in her Cabinet if she gets into the White House????That's why she is doing what she does And why Barack's folks are putting items together like this:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyhIBXNfqMA&feature=relatedGo OBAMA GO!!!!!

It would be nice if the pundits got it right on why Hillary won PA but of course their hearts are for Hillary since Big Business supports her. But that is the very reason why she wins in these types of states. Follow my logic for a minute. Hillary is funded by lobbists of Big Business. These funds represent the Bosses of the very people that sign the paychecks of these so-called "Blue-collar" workers that are supporting Hillary. Is that not the same as saying Nothing in Washington DC will change if you put Hillary back into the White House? So, If Hillary = no change then why would anybody vote for Hillary in the General Election when they have a choice for No Change. The better choice for No Change is McCain not Hillary. Further, who wins if Hillary is the Nominee? Big Business who want status quo for sure. Who loses the most if Hillary wins? The same so-called "Blue-collar" workers that are supporting Hillary because of their paychecks. Let's be clear here. The Democratic Party wants the White House and seats in Congress. That is why I will support Hillary If She gets the Nomination but all the passion for a lot of folks will be gone as well as a lot of newly signed Democratic voters and Young people who are following because Of Obama not Hillary. WE need to get that message out there for people too. We want the White House just as much as we want Barack Obama to be in it. Tell your friends who say I won't vote if my candidate does not get the nomination...Apathy never resolved anything. We survived 8 yrs of the worst administration imaginable, so we can survive if a Democratic Candidate makes history and gets the White House. This is our common goals. Is it not?

Welcome our New friend of NW GA for Obama08, Richard Whetsone. I think he has a point of view that may interest you, click onto his blog-http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/blog/richardwhetstone

I'm sure some our group feels the same as you, Richard.

Enough Negative

ObamaBob NSB — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:14:41 EDT

Even Hillary's supporters have had enough of her 'bitter' attack politics!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcyhJSAjAr0

YES WE CAN keep it positive. YES WE CAN keep it on message and policy. YES WE CAN keep hope.

Staying On Message...

Cheryl — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 12:33:01 EDT

I have seen a disturbing trend of late in negative or harsh responses to messages among our groups. I am concerned that we are headed down the distructive path of Hillary-ites and their infighting. Perhaps we should re-read a message and try to discover its true meaning before firing off a response that may be polarizing. We who support Obama are a wonderful representation of the diversity that makes up our beautiful country. Because of the tapestry of different belief systems, social and cultural settings, etc. we each have a unique view of our candidate. The key here is that Obama is OUR candidate. WE as Obama supporters must show resolve in our interactions with each other so that it reflects the message that our candidate continues to uphold. Change only comes when everyone believes in the cause. The cause is based on coming together as one voice. If a voice among us sees Obama as "sent by God" that is their view and should be respected. If a voice among us wants to find support for a strong delegate we should respect that. So many different views but one united one, that Barack Obama is the one candidate who can turn our country around and be the model for those struggling countries trying to fit into this new age. My republican husband said it best for me, "This man HAS to be our next president, he's our only hope." That is the voice of Unity, that is what we should keep in our hearts.

Just Between Us -- Education Policy, Part II

Trish Kahle — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:50:54 EDT

To: Barack Obama

RE: Education Insight

Recently, I had a conversation with an anonymous teacher in an anonymous school in an anonymous city in New England. Worried she might be reprimanded, or worse, she whispered to me from behind her desk, “Remember, this is just between us—we never had this conversation.”

What had this veteran teacher done? Looked at pornography on the internet? Made a racial, ethnic, religious, or socio-economic discrimination against a student? Possibly even had an affair with a student?

No—the harbored concerns about her position were nothing more than a defensive when she discussed with me, at length, the American education system, its evils, injustices, and—yes, I don’t need to worry about repercussions and I won’t lose my job over this one—constitutional violations.

Her first story was of another teacher in the same school system, widely regarded as one of the best English teachers in the city, who had the good/bad luck to teach The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn at the same time the novel raised a dispute in a nearby town. After his class finished the novel, he had them read articles about the dispute, where a citizen argued that the book was inappropriate to teach and should be removed from the curriculum. Then, the students wrote responses, discussing whether the book should be banned or not. Writing his own response and quoting the best of the student responses, the teacher wrote an op-ed in the local paper arguing against the banning of the book.

Very soon afterward, he was summoned in front of the school administration, who told him that his view was not that of the school board, and that he should not have submitted the piece as a teacher. He was also told that he should not have included the students’ work (which he had first obtained permission to use) as it could lead to a lawsuit. Furthermore, the administration added, he should not have had the students write the responses in the first place. They were not part of the class curriculum. Did the students give him permission, the administration asked, to waste their time? And what about the parents, the taxpayers who pay your salary?

Like a story teller weaving her tale, the first teacher told me of how education was being mechanized, how experimentation and exploration were no longer allowed, how curriculum was spelled out to the day. Every algebra student learns the quadratic formula on the same day. The Tet Offensive will be covered March 31 in all history classes. “They would make us all keep the same schedule in English classes,” she said, “But there aren’t enough books to go around.”

It wasn’t so long ago that I attended this same school, not so long ago that I explored the writing process by viewing a Jill Krementz exhibit, that I studied art by writing a comparison between the work of Allen Ginsberg and Salvador Dali. And wasn’t it at that same school that I was introduced to poetry by reading “Howl” and “The Green Automobile” and writing my own versions of them? Didn’t I read Twelve there? In AP English, didn’t I read a graphic novel about an Iranian girl? How had so much changed in two years? Maybe it was the new principal, but I think he was just a catalyst. Because slowly, through my nostalgia, the Power Standards and CAPT testing comes into view, and lo, there it is! No Child Left Behind.

But that’s just between you and me, Senator Obama.

It all seemed quite innocent at first, but that’s how everything begins, right? It seems like “not that big a deal” and we carry on without worrying. However, before long, the innocent changes morph into a dystopia that sound like they might have been pulled out of Brave New World or Fahrenheit 451.

My example city is one that NCLB would consider left behind, after all, only ten percent of the 2002 graduating class passed the literacy state test, and the results in subsequent years weren’t much better. But the teachers in that school made a world of difference. It wasn’t an easy school to teach in, and money was tight irregardless of federal funding. Somehow though, even without textbooks, without reliable computers, without TI-83 calculators—think what could happen with funding behind that dedication, and Barack, I’m just laying this out there, just between us.

"Let's go change the world" -- Barack Obama

Christopher Martin — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:20:25 EDT

One Voice, which begins today, highlights Barack’s belief that we are capable of coming together as a country to tackle our greatest challenges and encourages every American to take ownership of the political process. -- Caitlin Harvey, "New TV ads begin in Pennsylvania"

I was looking at the Pennsylvania for Obama blog before making calls to PA when I stumbled across "One Voice," a television commercial that began running in Pennsylvania today. The ad that has gotten the most attention in the media, "Maya" about the women in Barack's life, is certainly powerful. But "One Voice" should be seen by everyone in the Obama campaign, everywhere in this country, and indeed, across the world, because it captures the essence of this movement. I've seen a fair number of Obama commercials and this is the best, and arguably one of the best political spots ever, IMHO. Its message is as inspirational and aspirational as JFK's famous line in his inaugural speech, "Ask not..."

I can't embed the video in this post but here's the link:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1185304443/bctid1491695500

Free Advertisement: Change your Answering Machine Message

Liz — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:40:52 EDT

I saw this on another site and think it's a really good idea we could all adopt:

You can do this from anywhere in the country. Change your answering machine on your home phone or cellphone to include "Yes We Can" or "Vote for Obama." You could use Barack's voice or be creative. Mine is an excerpt from Stevie Wonder endorsing Barack. The best part is when people call, they'll get the message. This is a cost effective manner of campaigning or getting the message out to others.

You may lose a few callers, but imagine how many people will hear that message. I've actually had a few people leave a message that they too believe it's important to get out and vote (of course they were local callers who campaigning for, or running for an office themselves.)

Don't forget to include the barackobama.com website. Let's get the word out! Keep it going until the November.

No Experience Necessary

Faith Nalani Bromwich — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:59:02 EDT

This video was created by a myspace friend Kirk Nugent and his efforts shows a very powerful message of our future President Barack Obama. Please repost this on your profile, thank you.

Faith Nalani Bromwich

Special message from Obama

Robert S., Round Lake IL. — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 14:57:02 EDT

Special message from Obama:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFbDpTPd0ac

Please pass on to friends & family & other groups.

Many Thanks,

Robert

Obama...what does he mean to you?

Rev Bry — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 00:43:13 EDT

Comments?

The Obama Standard

Mister Anderson — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:41:38 EDT

Every once in awhile, an individual will come along of such remarkable skill and character, that his/her admirers and opponents alike will have great difficulty in quantifying their success.

Brett Favre in football. Bill Clinton in politics. Michael Jordan in basketball. Michael Jackson in dance. Alexander the Great in military warfare. Tiger Woods in golf. Mother Theresa in religion. Muhammad Ali in boxing. Mahatma Gandhi in peaceful rebellion and revolution. Elvis Presley in music. And so on and so forth.

These men and women were so great at what they do, that the only way to quantify their success is to compare and contrast them against themselves.

Their abilities transcended their respective fields and they set their own standard!

And Senator Barack Obama may soon join the list.

It's His Message Stupid!

Mister Anderson — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 01:45:21 EDT

Unfortunately, Geraldine Ferraro has introduced the discussion and debate into this already bloody election season about whether or not Barack Obama's race is the primary reason he has been so successful in his Presidential campaign so far.

Without reminding everyone of how previous Black candidates have tried and failed terribly (two in 2004), or how Senator Obama was once questioned if he was Black enough, I'll sum up his success to this:

Senator Obama is preaching hope and change to a politically depressed nation in a change election.

It's not the "concept" of his color.

IT'S HIS MESSAGE STUPID!

Rapid Response Media

James Grant, Visionary1 — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 19:04:39 EST

Rapid Response Media Concept

DON'T JOIN THE KNIFE FIGHT lol (Duh)

Ad concept: "Rapid Response" ads

In making whatever argument needed by whatever pops up from this "kitchen sink" effort, a short, text-only, "fact note" type format of counter statements.
Possibly just quick 15 second ads.

1: Acknowledge kitchen sink move/charge (or not) (example, last foreign policy charge, Hillary trots out retired generals)
2: Corrective statement (example: scrolling list of military and elected officials backing Barack)
3: Some sort of "don't believe the hype" "politics as usual" statement
4: "Fact: all polls show that Barack has a better chance of beating McCain

Additionally, end all Dem primary commercials with
"I'm Barack Obama, I can beat John McCain, and I approved this message.

Ah, one more: Ads that feature both HRC & McCain as old school, partisan, get nothing done pols. make correlation btw beltway experience and lack of progress for regular joe

We must drive home the message that a) Hillary will lose to McCain; b) Clinton would go negative on McCain early, and do we really want another campaign like that; c) She is continuing the politics of fear, division, and, that Clinton specialty: illusion; d; If she does win, Washington will remain in partisan gridlock

YES WE CAN OUTSMART OLD SCHOOL POLITICS WITH NEW SCHOOL THINKING

Tucker Carlson is right, I'm afraid to say. (MSNBC 03/08/08 7:00-7:30 PM

THE KINGDOM OF GOD MESSAGE BY BARACK OBAMA

Godspace By SoonerManny — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 08:37:52 EST

THE KINGDOM OF GOD BY BARACK OBAMA

I do not know if Barack Oabama knows it or not but he taught THE KINGDOM OF GOD in a message to Wyoming recently.

The Message:

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Matthew 13:31-32 (King James Version - Paraphrased)

My friends, The Kingdom of GOD in Earth and In Heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

Our Brother Barack has a seed that GOD has planted in him that has grown to be a tree.

With the teachings of "Sanity and Peace on Earth" by our Brother Barack we will achieve the goal GOD has placed in his heart.

This Goal is attainable and we must "WATER THE SEED" that GOD has planted in this man.

If we continue to walk in the light as he is in the light GOD will shed more light on "THE KINGDOM OF GOD AT HAND."

The Faith that Jesus taught, a grain of mustard that sprouts up and says to those mountains "Be Thou Removed" is well spoken of by Our Brother Barack.

If we come together as a Nation and Blessed Country Flowing With Milk And Honey spoken to by Our Father In Heaven to Moses and confirmed by Our Lord Jesus the seed Our Brother Barack will be watered and it will grow from sea to shining sea. All the nations of the earth will understand and see our GOOD WORKS that GOD has placed in our hearts and Glorify Our Father In Heaven.

If we will loosen the seals that has choked the root sown by the tares of the world the root will reach out and touch someone. The Lord Jesus Christ is that root that has been Planted On Solid Ground In Our Brother Barack.

Revelation 5:4-6 (King James Version)

4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

I ask one simple thing of all of us. If we truly wanna see THE ROOT spread forth and touch the lives of many THEN PLEASE TODAY GO AND WATER THE SEED.

TOGETHER WE STAND UN-UNITED WE FALL

GOD BLESS US ALL,

Manny

What Must Be Done

Gerry Filippatos — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:01:05 EST

I am leaving my prediction up on my blog -- that as went Vermont so would go Texas and Rhode Island -- to remind myself of what a bad predictor I am, especially when blinded by emotion. I truly believe that Barack Obama is a great man, a transformational historical figure, and the only candidate who can lead us out of the sad legacy of the last eight years -- a true national nightmare -- with sustainable hope. So last night I hoped for the best. Having said all that, I am disappointed at the lost opportunity of last night and I fervent in my belief that certain things must change.Senator Obama must hone his killer instinct; he needs it in this campaign and he will need it to be an effective president -- and he can do so without sacrificing who he. (Ali floated like a butterfly AND stung liker a bee.) Senator Obama can defeat Senator Clinton without adopting her alarmingly divisive and disapprovingly disingenuous politics, but he cannot win without fighting back. Going into last night's contests, Senator Obama had established to the American people hat he was winner but not that he was a fighter. Conversely, Senator Clinton had proven that she was a fighter, but not that she was a winner. Today, Senator Clinton has completed her proof, while Senator Obama has not. Americans want, and as the only superpower and bastion of liberty, America needs, a fighter in the Whitehouse. I certainly believe that Senator Obama has that fight in him -- he would not where he is today, having come from where he has come -- if he did not. But he must now demonstrate that fight to the American people by engaging Senator McCain in substantive policy debate as well as pointing out Senator Clinton's weaknesses and hypocrisy.On the war in Iraq, he must point out that Senator McCain has no justification for staying in Iraq given the political and economic realities that face our country. Being president is about making choices. We cannot afford to continue spilling American blood and spending American treasure to police a centuries-old civil war when far more immediate economic perils face us domestically and international conflicts loom that truly threaten out national security. (Political notes: focus on Senator Obama's nuclear proliferation expertise and the dangers of an internationally ascending Russia and Senator Obama's economic plan and McCain's lack of knowledge regarding the economy). The core message against McCain: spending another hundred years in Iraq jeopardizes everything we have built in this country over the past 230 odd years.On the economy, give at least one major speech on a “Blueprint for America” topic and challenge both McCain and Clinton to respond – (political note: this is especially effective now with McCain as he has not developed well-stated economic policies yet).As to HRC: (1) call her bluff and immediately release every last piece of paper regarding Rezko and in the same press conference go on the attack as to why she has hid her tax returns (where did the $5 million for her campaign come from) and her first lady schedule (where's the experience) from the voters thus far; (2) continue the years in Washington versus judgment argument and hammer home -- as you we have started doing -- that if that were the standard, then McCain wins hands down but also add (a) that the American people have already rejected the same old politics of McCain AND CLINTON that got us into a war with Iraq and threaten to get us into war with Iran and (b) judgment is also about doing your homework before making important decisions and because HRC DID NOT READ THE FULL INTELIGENCE REPORT before voting to authorize the war in Iraq, her qualifications to be commander-in-chief are questionable (Political note: HRC has accused Senator Obama of being AWOL on the subcommittee hearing regarding Afghanistan, which surrogates like John Kerry should full explain, but Senator Obama should say while in his estimation he was never AWOL, HRC was not ready when called.); and (3) not only make the argument that we are not better off than we were four years ago, so we don't need an extension of Bush via McCain, but ask the question, what road do we need to travel for the next four years, a road towards more divisiveness and Washington infighting (political note: surrogates should use the words special prosecutor, impeachment, Whitewater, Travelgate, and presidential pardon when making this argument), or a new direction of reality-based optimism, based on hopes that may be hard to realize, but that are impossible to relinquish if we are to stay Americans.

Finally, signal that we – the Obama movement -- will not let the nomination be taken from us illegitimately by repeating often the “people are watching” refrain form last night’s San Antonio speech. State unequivocally, especially after wins in Wyoming and Mississippi – there I go predicting again – that based on a mathematical reality that is inescapable, Senator Obama is the presumptive Democratic nominee for President of the United States.

And last (and perhaps least), a crazy thought: have a surrogate suggest that a three-way “Senator’s Debate” on the critical issues of our times should take place now.

Join The Revolution

Asher Heimermann — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 16:19:46 EST

Are you sick of hearing that youth do not care about themselves, their family, their community, or their future? Are you fed up with lame images of youth in our news and media? Take a stand. Become a part of the revolution! Join my youth movement that focuses on issues, family, education, community, and the future! For the past three years, I have been fighting for the rights of students. It's time for change.

Your support is critical to help us continue to build our movement. We win togther when we work togther. Join our people-powered movement and find out how you can help. If you want to join our movement, please e-mail me, Asher Heimermann, at asher@asherheimermann.com.

You can also visit my official website at www.ASHERHEIMERMANN.com and read my blog at www.ASHERHEIMERMANN.org.

The High Road

Robert from Trenton, NJ — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:29:31 EST

It's awfully hard to find the high road on any political map. Barack Obama and his campaign follow it most of the time, but every now and then, they veer off and collide with all the rest on the low road. There isn't much traffic on the high road, so Barack ought to stay there. Sure, there will be bumps along the way, but an optimist would say the bumps are there to give you a better view.

For the most part, I've liked the way Barack has avoided negative ads, or denegrating comments about his fellow candidates. Notice I didn't say, "opponents." He's given me the audacity to hope that I'll finally be able to vote for instead of against someone. But sometimes the negativity creeps in. The ads about Hillary's stand on healthcare and NAFTA that came to light before the Ohio primary were more negative than they needed to be. They may be absolutely factual, but could have been cast in a more positive light.

Let's leave the negativity for the other candidates and pundits. I read that Hillary's great closing at the end of the Texas debate was lifted from one of her husband's speeches and several made by John Edwards. This, after her "xerox" moment. Great lines and inspirational messages should not be considered copyrighted material. Sure, we should endeavor to credit the source, but sometimes imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And sometimes, things we hear ring so true to voices in our own heads, that the sounds merge, and we speak our thoughts with remnants of what we've heard others speak.

So let's stay on the high road. The change I seek is finding ways to have civil discourse over issues that are important. The loudest voices are not necessarily the strongest, and quite often are not the right ones to listen to. Where it matters, we need to triangulate to find what is right: the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Obama’s message is finally being heard

Jeff - TX pct 54 — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:12:32 EST

I was reading the blogs and analysis of the debate today. I think that Senator Obama’s message is finally being heard loud and clear despite the political pundits and insiders just not getting it.

Senator Obama's message of “Change” is not about him, it’s about us, the people of the United States. Senator Clinton and Senator McCain are asking that we place our trust in them; Senator Obama is asking that we place our trust in us (the people). His message is that he will not only inspire the people to get back into the process, but will also fight to keep them engaged in the process. He wants and needs us to be involved, that is the only way that any sort of progress can be made in Washington. We The People need to take back the control of our nation from the Lobbyist and special interests. We need to be spreading this news to everyone we know. We need to keep delivering this message of hope and empowering the people. We need to get the message across in our phone banks and block walks. This is OUR campaign, OUR country and we want to take it back. Change -- Yes we can.

Resolve to Solve

Lark — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:07:01 EST

We need leaders and citizens with the resolve to solve – it’s what changes the world. I’m one of the more than 650,000 individual contributors that have been drawn to the pretty words; we’ve pledged our support for those ideas. Clearly Barack Obama has used our funding and built a hardworking nationwide team that has been well trained to set a positive tone, respect the rules, and bring people together to demand change based on a Blueprint of priorities.

The digital era begun in the 1990’s and spurred with bridges to the 21st Century is the big change that makes it possible for the Democratic frontrunner to be truly independent of special-interest influence. This is a new world of powerful people.

I hope Senator Obama will honor conviction and spur Senator McCain to hold his pledge and accept public financing. This will keep campaign expenditures to a prudent level and reward technical infrastructure. This act will alter the balance of earned vs. paid media and empower issues advocates to raise their voices. Being of our time means we must all resolve to solve with vision, imagination and hard work. Putting this pledge forth in the debate could draw out a stark difference with Senator Clinton, and set a challenging tempo for a general election.

Consider putting forward an accessible resolve to solve – perhaps 5 priorities culled from the Blueprint including education, energy, healthcare and innovation. Call on supporters to share it, invite a slate of Congressional candidates to sign it and start building a coalition. I’m looking to the Obama team for the resolve to solve our country’s vexing issues.

Fresh thinking is the best weapon in a green vs. grey fight ~

On Speeches v. Substance

Lewis — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:00:56 EST

Watching the Sunday morning shows this week I've noticed something lacking in the campaign's message when it comes to this new Clinton strategy of calling Obama's message "hollow."

So much of what Bill Bradley and Dick Durbin was talking about was the importance of the speeches - that the critique is unfounded because speeches are meaningful. That can't be the message. It plays right into the Clintons' hands.

Say Something

Obama Supporter — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 23:22:35 EST

I just wanted to bring to your attention that though i cant vote (non us citizen) i really support barack obama i started an online message campaign for him to let people express their thoughts and opinions about Barack obama. you can see it at http://www.saysomethingaboutobama.com (Say Something About Obama) - we have received an enthusiastic response. I hope you can leave your messages too! The entire message wall can then be printed by anyone.

Every effort counts and so does every message.

Here's one to show people who think Obama's "Change" message is shallow

Erika R. — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 19:18:58 EST

Okay, I must admit I am a "Nation" junkie. Their online blogs are great. This one from Barbara Ehrenreich is perfect to show the folks who criticize Barack for the empty promise of "Change" and "hope." She convincingly argues why and how Obama's message is anything but empty.

"Unstoppable Obama" by Barbara Ehrenreich

See this link (I am having trouble making this a link, so here is the URL for your browser):

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080303/ehrenreich

OMG!! HILLARY STEALS OBAMA'S MESSAGE

Candy Barr 4 Obama! — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 21:31:52 EST

I'm just livid that Hillary would stoop so low as to literally steal Obama's message.

This is a clear case of plagiarism! This will surely be her demise if the media catches it as quick as I did. Her desperation of losing 6 and possibly 7 straight shines through like Karl Rove's bald head. Unbelievable!!

Charisma and a message

Jamie in Omaha — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 01:52:03 EST

It seems many people are discovering that Barack Obama really does stand out among the candidates. He draws people in with his charisma and consistently positive message. He hooks them with his message of change, service and compromise. I see in him a leader, and its clear that many others see the same thing.

Also like so many others, my first impression of Barack Obama was the 2004 Democratic Convention speech. When I learned of his candidacy, I read what I could find and never lost that initial confidence in the man to deliver on his message. It is inspiring. As the campaign shifts into high gear it is also exciting to see how universally his message comes across.

After Super Tuesday

Chris Comninel — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 00:40:09 EST

Even though New Jersey's time to vote has passed, and unfortunately Hillary got more votes, we can still act. There are tons of delegates for grabs and we all must make sure Barack gets as many of those delegates as possible. We can not simply win these upcoming contests in WA, NE, LA, MD, VA, DC, etc. We must win by big margins in districs so that we can rack up the delegate totals. So, make calls, donate (if you can), and spread Barack's message to EVERYONE you know. Let's make this happen. As Barack said, "We're what we've been waiting for!!!"

A first blog and a first video created.

David Davis — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 08:53:26 EST

Over the last couple of years I've watched as this great man has decided to take on an establishment that is dire need of change. I've watched with horror over the last several years as our government has fallen into shambles and away from "We the People" to the "I, Me, Mine" of the Bush administration.

We now have hope, and it feels good again. To walk into a booth on February 5th and vote for the right person at the right time, no matter what the naysayers are peddling. I have never, in my 43 years of life, had a stronger conviction to someone running for president. I've watched Barack come out of the battlefield of the Illinois Senate and make his way up the the US Senate and now to the Presidency of the United States of America. Its truly inspiring and exhilerating to watch history unfold!

I created this video as an homage to the Obama message, using bits and piece of video and footage from the campaign and putting a song to it that means so much to me that I think sums up the campaign for change and Yes WE CAN! I hope that you enjoy it.

Thank you,

David Davis

Westmont, IL

My Barack Video

My YouTube Channel

After Super Tuesday

Pat Kohler — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 02:57:30 EST

Well the night is long, I am wide awake and thinking. On CNN they are showing all delegates. Not just the ones decided by the vote of the people, but also including the super delegates.

Kansas itself, has 9 super delegates. I have a feeling one of them is Kathleen Sebelius. That would mean that there are 8 more that may or may not support Obama.

We have gone out and voted. It is time to spread the message to the Super Delegates.

My idea for doing that is to once a day or week inundate the super delegates with compare and contrasts on the issues that are being talked about by the media and the Clinton campaign. Also, we should tailor the messages to talk about issues that have been of high imporatance to that super delegate in question.

For me, the search is on right now to find out who those super delegates are so that we can get the message out.

If you can find out the information before me, please let me know.

Does Listening Help?

Cindy Cummins — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 22:39:47 EST

I've had a dream to open a listening center where parents will be supported and cultural divides are healed. So far, the time and place have not been right. I haven't been ready.

But, when it comes to new US leadership, the time and place is here, now. And ready or not, Barack Obama asks us each to believe in ourselves. He says we each are able to bring about real change. If opening a blog here and sharing a few thoughts can be supportive of this man I hope is our next president, it's all good.

To some this will sound racist--I want a black man in office. We need a black man in office. *smiles* Yes, he also needs to be qualified--and of sound character. That's a tall order for anyone in the position of president of the US. I am excited about who this person is. We are all human beings, racial groupings are not what they've been contrived to be. But Barack Obama, through who he is, as well as the groups he represents, can bring about incredible positive changes both to the United States of America and to the world we impact so. My hope is we as a country send a clear message to the rest of the world that we are ready to end racism. We are ready for cooperation, peace. Additionally, I believe Obama's policies will create racial justice for African Americans in particular.

Why do I care about that? I remind myself often that this country's wealth was built upon the backs of and from the enforced servitude of African-heritage human beings.

I am not a guilt-ridden white woman. Just someone who wants truth and deep healing across racial and class lines. I want to be part of ending oppression for my children and their children's world. I don't know just how to do that, but Barack Obama does.

Obama stands for Unity. He stands for moral integrity, compassion and fairness. He never supported the war in Iraq ... He has decent gay policies. He understands we need to work with Mexico and support/create economic viability there. Further, I believe he will narrow the ever-widening class divide. He will "keep the dream alive."

Yes, I think listening helps and I think Obama has been listening for a long long time.

Thank you.

Stay on message

Catherine from Saugatuck, MI — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:26:49 EST

This is my first time on a blog, but I have to speak up. When I saw the clips of the South Carolina debate the next morning, I wanted to just march up on that stage and say "Stop It" "Stop this petty bickering", like a Mom who is sick of listening to her children going at each other. Please, Sen. Obama, stay on message. I live in Michigan. The Democrats here are very disheartened because of what happened with our primary. There used to be electricity in the air whenever a group of Democrats got together. It's fizzled big time with all the Primary mess. The grassroots folks here need your messages of HOPE and VISION and CHANGE more than ever. Please, please do not lose that part of your message. (THe Clintons have their own dirt, which the Republicans will smear all over, if Mrs. Clinton gets the nomination. I hope that doesn't happen.) Please keep up the good work. Good luck in South Carolina on Saturday.

Orignial Campaign Please! : (

Nick from Woodland Hills, CA — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 02:25:38 EST

It was beneath Sen. Obama to revert to these type of tactics no matter what the excuse is! Sen. O has promised us to run a different campaign, he has promised us "Change" and "Unity". I hope that he is not turning towards the traditional ways of Washington already, if so he severely dilutes his credibility and his message.

We should no longer allow race to be an issue in our Party, it is beneath us and it is diverting us from the real challenges. Whichever one of the them wins, the party will be fractured, and will need to be repaired immediately. As we continue to fight amongst ourselves, the Republican's are beginning to organize around McCain. We need to prevent this and I would like to encourage our efforts be focused towards the opposite side of the aisle, and even volunteer for Huck & Chuck, the weakest Republican choice and the easiest prey for Barack to take down.

Senator Obama also needs to demonstrate that he is what he has promised us to be. A different kind of politician, one that respects us and cares about us. Recently it seems that he is growing in arrogance, I have a real problem with his actions in Nevada by not giving a speech to his supporters & volunteers, and now his actions in SC, during the debate. We are supposed to "Stand for Change" what kind of "Change" is this. It seems like politics as usual to me.

Sen. Obama, please return to your original campaign plan, do not stoop to the level of Ed & Hill. Show us that you are not just talk, please restore my faith in your candidacy and sincerity. Even if we do lose, which I don't believe we will, but if we do, at least we truly stood up for our beliefs and we really did "Stand for Change". MLK knew that the his message would be slow, but he was able to persevere by not deviating from it, which made him the leader we celebrate today. Pls Pls don't become 1 of them.

THE BEST THING WE CAN DO AS SUPPORTERS OF BARACK OBAMA IS...

Kalla B — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 14:20:47 EST

... to EDUCATE ourselves AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE about his actual ACCOMPLISHMENTS as an elected public official as well as READ his BLUE PRINT FOR CHANGE BOOKLET so that we can start off our conversations with potential supporters with SOLID points and then FOLLOW that up with his character, his sound judgment, his ability to inspire and his abllity to unite!
People have heard the "Change" message enough to get that that's what he's about. Now, they are LOOKING FOR SUBSTANCE, as in HOW HE WILL DELIVER THIS CHANGE! Until he starts getting into those details with the media, we have to start spreading that information ourselves to potential supporters through our conversations.

We must represent our candidate as powerfully and as cleary as possible. Of course, after we regail potential supporters with a few key talking points about Sen. Barack based in substance, we can direct them to the ISSUES link for more detailed information. We must deliver an impressive amount of meat though before we send them off to cyberspace. Hopefully we can leave them with enough information that they feel fairly satiated by our sharing. :-)

It's the Economy, stupid

Alan Coverstone — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 13:33:22 EST

She's running the same campaign Bill won in 1992. Barack needs to focus his debate message a bit. He needs to coopt her economy focus the way she coopted Iraq last night. His strong suit is getting things done vs. gridlock. He goes there, but it sounds more defensive than offensive in the debate last night. He needs this kind of statement:

My economic plan differs from Hillary’s in a few key essentials:

(List a couple quickly)

But otherwise we do agree on many of the particulars.

It is important to know what we would do differently, but it is far more important to understand how we would get things done. That’s where the clear difference lies in this campaign.

Hillary and John are suspicious and confrontational toward people who disagree with them. I, on the other hand know how to listen and consider. Only in that context does it become possible for me to understand what my fellow citizens are really concerned about. Only in that context can my fellow citizens really understand my concerns, and out of that approach, genuine cooperation and progress is possible.

You don’t give up your progressive ideals just because you work with Independents and Republican. In fact, you are far more likely to figure out ways to make real progress on important values than in a divisive and confrontational spirit.

The past 35 years show us clearly the failure of the confrontational and divisive approach. If confrontation worked to advance Hillary and John’s agenda, we would have universal heath care, but we don’t. We would have meaningful investment in renewable energy, but we don’t. We would have rational tax reform for the middle class, but we don’t. We would have a coherent and unified national security policy on proliferation and Al Quaed, but we don’t. We would have a solution to the American presence in Iraq, but we don’t.

Experience shows that my approach is the only one that can actually get things done. Those things that unite us as Americans are far more significant than those that divide us. And while that is certainly true for the people in this debate, it is also true of the independent and Republican Americans as well. We need a new day and a new approach in Washington. John and Hillary are campaigning to stake out the battleground. Experience tells us that approach leads to paralysis. Their best ideas will simply languish undone for the next four years of division. My campaign is about getting things done.

Obama's Message...

Paul from Washington, DC — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 19:56:14 EST

I love Obama's platform of "change" that message is the culmination of a hopeful and democratic narrative long shut out of our national conversation about politics and governance. What is Obama's platform? What does he mean by change? Obama's platform is about (1) looking to the future; (2) knowing our interests; and (3) getting involved.

The American people have to let go of our past political affiliations (liberal, conservative, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, etc.) and congeal a new coalition of common sense and common interests because party affiliations do not always serve the core social, economic, and political interests many Americans share.

The American people have to realize our true social, economic, and political interests actually are because knowledge of our interests will inform our participation and activism.

The American people have to get involved and stay involved in the political process because democracy requires constant vigilance and activism.

As President, Mr. Obama will continue the work he started as a young grassroots organizer. He will work to cultivate innovative technologies and models of activism to create a social context and infrastructure that supports grassroots activism over lobbying, and citizen participation over hopelessness, cynicism, and apathy. Like never before the American people will be informed and empowered to play a central role in shaping the nation we share into a more perfect union.

Political Campaign Video Ads

Brett from Valencia, CA — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 16:08:44 EST

As the founder of HotPluto.com, we are going to offer FREE Video Advertising for Presidential Candidates. We will be setting up a category called "Campaigns" shortly, where you will be able to post your message. HotPluto wants to do their part in terms of helping candidates get their message out to the masses!

Come by and post your messages...we will allow up to 5 video ad's for each candidate that elects to use our service.

Best Regards and good luck with your campaign Barack!

Brett Hill- Founder

Reclaim Your Message

Connie — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 14:10:25 EST

Now that everybody's talking about "change", even the Republicans; now that Clinton has usurped Obama's platform: positioning herself as the agent of change, shifting focus to her audience by sprinkling "you" "you" "you" through her speech, and updating her stage backdrop with young supporters, what can Obama do to hold his own?

Mr.Obama: after a long time on the campaign trail, after delivering speech after speech, it may be time to regroup, refresh, and reconnect with yourself and ask: how can I convince American people that I am the force of change? I am the one who will heal and unify the nation? And I am the one who will usher in a new era of politics?

We have always believed that you are the one. Now the rest of America want to hear for themselves.

Clinton's marketing problem

Sierra Hussein Cajun — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 14:10:21 EST

I heard on TV this morning that a new USA Today/Gallup poll for New Hampshire puts Sen. Obama at 41% and Sen. Clinton at 28%. (Wow!)

I've been listening to both of their speeches over the last couple of days. Clinton has commandeered some of the "change" message that has been so consistently defined by Sen. Obama. Now, however, Clinton has a messaging problem. Is she "ready to lead" or is she "ready for change"? (Those two conflicting messages were both visible from her closing speech after the Iowa caucuses.)

Marketing experts say that successful companies and product "own" a word, phrase, or concept in the marketplace. Volvo owns "safe." Kleenex owns "tissue." Xerox owns "photocopy." And Obama, in the marketplace of the voter, owns "change." Therefore, when Sen. Clinton tries to use "change" when she's established herself as the owner of "ready," voters will think it's disingenuous (at least subconsciously).

In addition, Obama's words inspire many, many people -- that THEY can be the agents of change, not having to rely on the way politicians have always done things. (I loved the New York Times article that quoted the Clinton adviser as saying, after Obama's speech at the Demo dinner in NH, "He almost had me convinced!") When Clinton talks about how "words" mean nothing without "action," marketing experts would say that she's telling those people that she doesn't trust them to be those agents of change. It's like a company telling a customer, "No, you don't know what you want."

I've heard the criticism that Obama's dream of empowering the nation won't work. That "politics as usual" will rule the day at the end. I suppose it's possible that an Obama presidency dreams too big. But I know that I want to try to defeat the politics-as-usual mindset, that I want Obama to work with everyone to get health care reform passed, to get our place in the world re-established, to get us out of our dependence on oil.

If an Obama presidency fails, it will be because we as Americans don't stand together, because we as Americans don't make it happen--but not because Halliburton, Cargill, and K Street have too much power. Right now, I don't care if the odds are stacked against Obama's dream of what America can be: I want to try, I want to give it my all. And none of us will have that opportunity without an Obama presidency.

The message Hillary is giving America is: I don't trust you. I don't want to you try to change Washington. I don't believe you have the ability to change politics-as-usual. And that is a horrible way to market yourself to America.

Thoughts on Iowa Night

Malik Singleton — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 01:35:19 EST

Man I'm happy. I can feel a good thing happening. The candidate that I'm backing has a greater and greater chance of winning each day and I'm on board now like I've been since his announcement. I feel like the fan of the sports team that's staging a thrilling comeback and possibly heading to the playoffs.

But I feel like something needs to be stated for the record here. I just heard Shelby Steele on Charlie Rose and I absolutely have to step in here and articulate that my excitement over Obama has everything to do with his message and not his color. Honestly! In fact, the best part about his color is that people are not going to let it prevent them from voting for him.

Messaging Strategy Going Forward

Athena — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:45:29 EDT

I have been moved to write this post by a prescient NPR story that forced me to emerge from my cocoon of denial, according to which the polls say nothing about Obama whatsoever and everything about the mainstream media, its biased commentators and methodologically flawed surveys.

That is only about 70 percent true. This post is intended to address how we can work the remaining 30 percent gap that separates Our Candidate from victory.

First, I would like to direct your attention to this piece, which appeared on NPR's October 25th airing of "All Things Considered"

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15604110

NPR's objective in this story is not to give a comprehensive view on how Obama is perceived, and I think they make that quite clear. Rather, it is to explain why so many people like Obama but are hesitant to cast their lot with him. They profile two groups of people and ask them why this is so – or not.

NPR -at least the NATIONAL network- is, IMO, one of the last reducts of Old Media that actually does research before reporting, so I hold what they are conveying in high esteem and have no reason to believe that they are trying to undermine Our Candidate. Not all pieces have to be positive in order to be legitimate and well crafted.

Naturally, I disagree with what the skeptics cited say about Obama - that he lacks substance, is not much different from Hillary, and is trounced by her in the debates. These people have clearly not listened to or understood Obama despite their assertions to the contrary. However, the views they express are widely held by non-supporters. One can rightfully argue that they are mistaken; nonetheless, in the annals of campaigning, even stupid or misinformed voters (assuming these are either, which they may not be) must be courted in the interests of victory.

What these voters say also provides a good starting point, as we opiniâtres and self-styled soldiers of Obama set about honing our grassroots messaging strategy for the remainder of the campaign. The piece, like all clouds, has a silver lining in that it enables us to understand how best to tackle the skeptics' views.

In bombarding Old and New Media with comments and blogs, we must do the following:

First, what we have been doing all along, which is by correcting factual errors.

Second, by countering claims that Obama lacks substance. Not by arguing with other posters, though, but by citing either his policy points, or VERY SPECIFIC aspects of his biography that help illuminate the substance behind the man.

Third, by highlighting the policy and philosophical differences with Hillary. This could be done by our pointing out such things as Senate votes and statements. It may help to go to Hillary's website and read her platform so that we can quote one view against the other. It is tempting to merely point to differences in character (as I have done myself a million times) but that will not convince voters who have no trouble with lack of integrity, or who believe that any attack against Hillary is pure politics.

Finally, we must demonstrate that the notion that Hillary is trouncing Obama in the debates is largely borne of media distortions, not facts. Listen to what people say when they express this view. Trounced how - by better oratory, better synthesis of ideas? We can respond by quoting Barack and demonstrating how his arguments carried the day, while her responses failed to address a particular question and left many potential voters unimpressed. (The last debate was a disaster for Hillary.)

In other words, we passionate Obama-ites have to become temperamentally muted but equally direct and incisive in our responses.

In the same piece, NPR quotes a recent poll (not identified) supposedly showing that half of Americans have not yet made up their minds about whom to vote for. It is not clear whether the survey refers to all voters or only Democrats, but these findings, if true, give us ample room for maneuver regardless of which group was polled.

If we adopt this strategy, we may succeed in recruiting more people who are conservative in their vote and not necessarily anxious for change, but for detail. These may not be people whose approach to the nation's future we value highly, but a key tenet of what I refer to as the Obama Doctrine is that his movement can accommodate supporters who disagree with each other. Reining in these voters could propel Our Candidate to victory by a landslide.

I can think of one missed opportunity; missed because I, for one, failed to seize it. There is one frequent NYT Caucus Blog participant who may have been persuaded but who now backs Hillary after staying on the fence for a long time. I was remiss in seeing this and not doing something about it. She has become a true Hillary fanatic.

Open Letter: Stop Arguing about Experience

Athena — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 20:07:35 EDT

Dear Sen. Obama,

Now is the time to retire your stump speech comments about experience. By constantly alluding to it, you are keeping the label "inexperienced" in people's heads no matter how well you argue against it.

Your message is that you do not have the type of experience that Washington players like. And that, you suggest, is one reason for people to vote for you. But that may be a misguided perception of people's rationale for wanting change. It is also an argument that, inadvertently, calls into question -in the minds of those undecided voters, that is- your true commitment to change.

Why? Because by telling voters that you want change, and that you do not have Washington insider experience, you are implying that if you DID have Washington insider experience you might be less amenable to change.

The logical implication from this train of ideas is that EITHER your message of change comes from inexperience, and that if you knew "what you were talking about" you would not say such things OR that you are not serious about change and have to allude to your Washington inexperience as a sales pitch.

This country's body politic is cynical, as you know all too well. If there is a negative way to interpret a politician's remarks, people will choose that road.

Of course, those of us who support you know that the above is the opposite of the truth; that you want change because you feel, from the bottom of your heart, and in your head, that it is necessary. Yet the public may be reading you differently. Rightly or wrongly, people do believe that it is possible to be in Washington for a long time and still want change; they may remain unconvinced that you would be equally amenable to change if you were to reach the White House and become the Insider-in-Chief.

Keep speaking of change alone. And of wisdom and judgment, both of which you have in abundance. But realize that your argument about Washington inexperience, while good on its face, is actually counterproductive and can be used against you in argumentation terms alone.

Insisting on that line of self-defense may also be responsible for keeping you from gaining in the polls as much as you should - even if they are distorted. I doubt whether Sen. Clinton will keep hammering on your supposed inexperience. She has everything to lose and nothing to gain by attacking. But by constantly re-stating your retort, as you have been doing, you are continuing an argument when the other person has left the room and can no longer hear you.

And the pundits love to pick on arguments. Every time you say that Washington insiders call you inexperienced because you have not been in Washington long enough, they (being Washington insiders themselves) repeat that and stop there without continuing and explaining your defense.

Pundits are no Einsteins but, unfortunately, they matter because they move the polls and the public.

So drop the subject of attacks on your "inexperience." It muddles your message. Make it simple. As you say, you DO have experience, and it is of the right kind, so frame this subject in the way you have done every other: on your own terms and in your own time.

I once had a French teacher who used to tell us to never ask how a word was misspelt, because that could stay in our minds even if we knew it was wrong. That was such a valuable lesson. Never speak about what others contend you do not have. Do not make allusions to how others define you.

As always, good luck!

Pamela Mercer

Washington DC

Washington Post article

Mark — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 04:51:21 EDT

The campaign needs to pay attention to the contradictions and implications that are present in this Post article.

Barack Obama, Drawing The Big CrowdsBy Roseville City School Board Member - Sep 6th, 2007 at 2:23 am EDTAlso listed in: Chicanos/Latinos for Obama Barack Obama, Drawing the Big Crowds

By Anne E. Kornblut
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 4, 2007; A05

MILFORD, N.H., Sept. 3 -- As Sen. Barack Obama led a rowdy mob down the street here during a Labor Day parade, an organizer wearing a Mitt Romney pin stood on the sidewalk and stared in astonishment.

"It's going to be tough to beat that guy," he said, shaking his head, to another man with a Romney sign.

Or will it?

Obama (D-Ill.) has not picked up measurable steam in the national polls since he announced his candidacy more than six months ago. His most obvious strength has been seen in the money he has raised and in the jaw-dropping sizes of the crowds he draws -- a sign of what his campaign says is its solid ground organization.

You know that Rush Limbaugh always complains about the "drive by media" but here you have a clear example of the creation of a media generated "consensus" point of view. The author clearly acknowledges the jaw-dropping size of the crowds and strength ... in the money he has raised. Now this is the very indication of a strong a successful campaign and in and of itself acknowledges that the campaign is going extremely well at this stage. However, the killer statement is not picked up measurable steam. Implying that all the money and all the obvious public support is just not going to be enough. Sorry, too bad.

The implication and "consensus" and utter falseness of this statement is simply not reality. This tactic has been used before. It was used against the peace movement in the early '80s. The message goes something like this. Well, those anti nuclear demonstrators contain a few whackos and a few really kind and concerned people. They claimed that there were 250,000 people at their rally in NYC but the police said it was only about 100,000 or so. You know we really agree with them that you shouldn't be afraid of being blown up so we will protect you with a Star Wars defense shield.

Statements like these mask and conceal the truth that Obama's turnout and fundraising numbers are quite astounding for a challenger candidate. As these articles imply "that in spite of strength, lack of momentum is the most important measuring stick," the truth is further hidden.This is even having a negative impact on the campaign itself with some doubts and anxiety being expressed in many blogs here on this site. The campaign mailed out an e-mail complaining that lack of poll progress should not be disheartening.

Wrong strategy.

It would be more effective to tape a simple video of Barack or Michelle reading that article out loud and responding directly to its obfuscation of truth and commenting amongst a group of supporters something to the effect of "with supporters like this, who needs momentum." It is easily possible to directly exploit the untruths in the consensus media vision by humor and direct observation and sometimes by exaggeration. Complaining about the media is simply ineffective whining.Satire can be very effective and especially in regard to covert themes. One could imagine an ad where an aveage couple reads the article out loud to each other and opens their window to a cheering crowd listening to Obama and saying to each other "I don't know what they're teaching to these young people in journalism school nowadays." Common sense in the context of satire is universal and easily understood by all, especially by people who support this campaign.

In other posts there is a rumbling of Oprah is coming to save the day. This can be a double edged sword if it is viewed from a Saturday Nght Live point of view. So we have Bill standing next to Hillary and Oprah standing next to Obama. The joke is that Bill is really running against Oprah and the implication of the joke is that neither candidate can stand up for themselves. One can anticipate that the media will write about this angle and entertain their readers by making both candidates seem impotent simultaneously. If the Obama campaign could anticipate this and twist or play the joke out loud first, it reinforces the impression that Obama is not impotent and is "not a rock star candidate." I find it amazing that the Obama campaign has a candidate who is perceived as honest, most trustworthy and unifying by the public and yet they are having trouble making a decent ad and keeping up that theme. It's like having Peyton Manning at QB on third down and never throwing the ball. The campaign staff either needs to get its act together in this regard or get out of the way and let Obama just be himself and do his best without consultant help.

Core Messages from Barack Obama, Labor Day '07

Saoirse — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 11:41:54 EDT

People supporting the Obama campaign are diverse and new or returning to political process.

Conventional thinking in Washington says we can't come together to take on big challenges like health care, or energy, or education; can't agree on what America should be, so might as well settle for the way America is right now.

As bad as George Bush has been, it's going to take more than a change of parties in the White House to truly turn this country around. The problem is that the system in Washington isn't working for us and hasn't for a long time.

Why? Because the drug and insurance industry has spent over a billion dollars on lobbying in the past ten years alone to block reform. Because every year, the oil and gas lobbyists use their clout and their money to keep us addicted to fossil fuels.

I believe this election cannot be about who can play this game better. It has to be about who can put an end to the game-playing.

I have never seen politics as a game. From the day I decided to become a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago over two decades ago, I have always seen politics as a mission - as the way we hold this country up to our highest ideals.

For all the noise and the pettiness coming out of Washington, what holds this country together is this fundamental belief that we all have a stake in each other - that I am my brother's keeper; that I am my sister's keeper. And that must express itself not only in our churches and synagogues or in our personal lives, but in our government too.

I've been fighting for people as a public servant for over two decades - as a community organizer, a civil rights lawyer, a constitutional law professor, a state Senator, and a U.S. Senator.

Time served doesn't guarantee judgment. A resume says nothing about character.

My experience tells me that real change and progress comes by bringing people together to get things done
• like when I worked with police officers and civil rights advocates to reform a death penalty system that had sent thirteen innocent people in Illinois to death row
• or when I worked with Republicans and Democrats to expand health care for 150,000 Illinoisans
• or put $100 million worth of tax cuts in the pockets of working families
• or when I worked with my Republican colleague, Dick Lugar, to pass a law securing dangerous weapons in the old Soviet Union

My experience tells me that real change and reform come when we're willing to put the people's interests before the special interests and partisan interests
• what I did in Illinois when I took on money in politics and passed the first ethics reform in twenty-five years
• what I did in Washington when I passed a law that earned me the cold shoulder from leaders of both parties - for the first time in history, Washington lobbyists will have to disclose who they're raising money from and who in Congress they're funneling it to.

My experience tells me that real change and security come when we're willing to make foreign policy decisions based not on what's popular in Washington, but what's right for America - based on a real understanding of the world
• why I resisted the tide in my campaign for the US Senate and opposed the war in Iraq from the start

I might not have the experience Washington likes, but I believe I have the experience America needs right now.

Hope and change are not just the rhetoric of a campaign for me. Hope and change have been the causes of my life. Hope and change are the story of our country. We aren't just here to win an election. We are here to transform a nation.

When I am President, we will have universal health care in this country by the end of my first term in office. It's a plan that will cover every American and cut the cost of a typical family's premiums by $2500 a year. And I will not let the drug and insurance companies spend another billion dollars to block reform -

I have a plan to raise our fuel standards that's won the support of some lawmakers who had never supported raising fuel standards before.

As President, I will launch a campaign to recruit an army of new teachers, and we'll pay them better, and give them more support, and help them reach high standards by working with them, not working against them. I will invest in early childhood education so that every child has the best possible start in life. And while we're at it, let's finally make a college degree affordable and available to every American, and bolster our community colleges to help educate and train America's workers.

Let's give American workers more than a parade. Let's give them policies that actually value their work. Let's provide them with a living wage. Let's allow our unions do what they do best again - organize our workers and lift up our middle-class. And let's stop giving tax breaks to the companies who send them overseas and start giving them to companies who create jobs right here in America.

I opposed the war in Iraq from the start. I said then that Iraq was the wrong battlefield; that we would find ourselves mired in a lengthy civil war, diverting our attention from Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. And I introduced a plan back in January that would have gradually and responsibly removed all combat troops from Iraq by March 30th, 2008.

To repair the damage, to meet the dangers and seize the opportunities of this new century, the old formulas will not do. Strong countries and strong Presidents shouldn't be afraid to talk to our adversaries to tell them where America stands.

It's time for America to lead again
• to fight on the right battlefield in rooting out al Qaeda
• to lead by building schools in the Middle East that teach math and science instead of hatred to close Guantanamo and restore the right of habeas corpus
• to show the world that we are not a country that ships prisoners in the dead of night to be tortured in far off countries
• to show we are not a country that looks away while innocents are slaughtered in Darfur
• to show we are not a country that runs prisons which lock people away without ever telling them why they are there or what they are charged with

I will always tell you what I think and where I stand. I will be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you when we disagree. And most importantly, I will open the doors of government and ask you to be involved in your own democracy again.

When you walk away [from participation], the same old politics wins every time.

I am not just asking you to trust in my ability to change this country - I'm asking you to trust in yourself. In your own instincts. In your own sense of possibility. In your own sense of what's right. I'm asking you to bet on us, on our capacity to do what previous generations have done - to lift our sights, to join together and forge a better future for our children and grandchildren. Make this campaign the vehicle for your hopes and your dreams; for your sense of what America is and what America can be. And if you're willing to work for it and fight for it and bring others to this cause, if after this rally you decide to go sign up twenty more people or volunteer to knock on doors or serve as a precinct captain, then I believe that this time will finally be different from all the rest.

And so I'm asking you if you believe it's time to challenge the Washington politics that have let us down and shut us out and made us settle if you believe it's time to restore a sense of mission to our politics and a sense of possibility to America if you want a country that no longer sees itself as a collection of Red States and Blue States if you want a President who can lead a United States of America … then I ask you to believe in this campaign; I ask you to believe in yourself, I ask you to believe again in the dream that we call America.

Happy Mother's Day

Miss Melodius — Sun, 13 May 2007 15:16:49 EDT

In honor of our mothers, especially the mothers who cannot be with us today, won't you join me in supporting Senator Barack Obama for President of the United States of America?

Today is a special day for me because Mom is gone. She loved Sen. Obama and was proud to vote for him to represent her in the U.S. Senate. As it turned out it was her last vote. I know, if she were still with us, she'd consider it a fine present to receive word that I donated money to Sen. Obama's presidential campaign. Does your Mama feel the same way or would she if she were here?

Show the love and God bless.

Biographies, storytelling and the hero's journey

Marc — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 13:15:09 EDT

As posted on my blog Dutch Perspective:

Ben Wallace-Wells writes a fantastic article for The New York Times featuring David Axelrod, Barack Obama’s chief strategist, or by his own description the “keeper of the message.” The article demonstrates the crucial role of biographies, storytelling and the hero's journey.

The Beef: Politics Beyond the Quadrennial Plebiscite

Adoyo — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 20:35:34 EDT

Hearing about the recent endorsements other candidates have been lining up, I have remained unconcerned, certain that when all is said and done, Americans - who I do believe are at their core pragmatic folk - will see that Senator Obama is the best suited for the presidency and will accordingly cast their lot with him. But today I came across a thought-provoking and surprisingly informative article in The New Republic about the recent calendar changes for state primaries and it made me reconsider my naive position.

I know that 'power' and 'connections' matter, but, idealist that I am, I was inclined to think that given the chance, (which is the point of elections in a democracy), individual citizens would choose for themselves, regardless of the dictates of party higher-ups. But this section in the TNR essay on the requirements for winning the party nomination gave me pause:

To win the Democratic nomination, you need a simple majority of its roughly 4,300 voting delegates--that is, you need the support of around 2,150. But that's easier said than done, because not all delegates are actually awarded during the caucuses and primaries. Almost one fifth of them are superdelegates--party insiders and leaders who are free to support whomever they choose. That reduces the number of delegates actually at stake during the caucuses and primaries. And, if you do the math, you'll see that a successful candidate must win about 60 percent of those in order to lock up the nomination without superdelegates.
Jonathan Cohn “Thank goodness for the front-loaded primary schedule”

So endorsements really do matter since it would appear that they lock up some of the delegates beforehand. But the strategic importance of 'retail politics' now becomes even more apparent: a candidate has to connect with people in a away that is meaningful to them if he is going to win regardless of superdelegates. Going door-to-door and attending town meetings where citizens have the opportunity to closely examine what the candidate has to offer provides the best opportunity for this connection to happen. In extolling the virtues of retail politics, Senator Obama aptly compares the campaign to showrooms where voters are the car buyers who get a chance to open the hood and kick the tires, perhaps even do a test drive, before comitting to a particular candidate. This process, as grueling and as unforgiving as it might be for the presidential hopefuls, gives the voters a chance to distinguish charlatans (whose outlandish rhetoric and vacuous promises are merely hawking snake oil in the public square) from the candidates who sincerely care about the common weal and respect the judgement of the individuals they hope to govern.

This new understanding led me to a couple of important questions which I have not seen addressed sufficiently: first, what will the delegates really be choosing when they settle upon a candidate early next year? What will the citizens be deciding when they elect someone new to the presidency of the Republic of the United States of America? The office of the president is a position of significant power and enormous responsibility. And so is the role of the citizen who elects one of their own to that position.

Most adults (and many children) know well enough that those in positions of responsibility must respond to the needs of those for whom they are responsible. Now in a democracy, unlike a monarchy, individuals must appeal to citizens for the authority to avail themselves of the resources of the republic in order to address those issues that are the province of public policy and governance. Politicians in search of this public endorsement often do not think twice about reciting endless litanies of empty promises in order to win the contest. During a conference on health care in March, Senator Obama voiced concern about the problems that arise from making even well-meant promises: "Every four years somebody trots out a white paper, they post it on the Web... But the question we have to challenge ourselves is do we have the political will and the sense of urgency to actually get it done."

Where, indeed, does the political will go once the elections are over and promises now have to be made a reality? Unfortunately, it has also come to be expected, even in a democracy as it would be in a dictatorship, that when those invested with power no longer need to court the good will of the people to legitimize their authority, they simply stop paying any attention to the needs of the people and attend to their own. Clearly the defensive skepticism of a people much-abused and neglected by their leaders in recent years must be reckoned with.

Such is the current state of affairs where every four years the country holds a quadrennial plebiscite – defined succinctly by MerriamWebster as “a vote by which the people of an entire country […] express an opinion for or against a proposal especially on a choice of government or ruler.” Ernesto Cortes sums it up: “[This process] has very little to do with politics. It has more to do with marketing strategies, marketing segments, direct mailing, polling.”

Politics, on the other hand, is what lies at the foundation of a society, a civilization. According to Aristotle, the integrity of other social concerns – strategy, economics, oratory (i.e. the persuasive arts) – is dependent on the integrity of politics, as are the mores and laws of the land. And ultimately it is about the people, the polis (Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics I, 1094a-b].

So when Senator Obama clearly and consistently articulates an ideal of governance which places the citizen at its center and calls upon each individual to claim responsible ownership of the power and privileges of democracy, he is proposing to rebuild the very foundation of our society. He remains undeterred by the irresponsible misapplication of power that has for too long subjected the nation’s fate to the whims of ambitious demagogues who do not even bother to be enlightened in their self-interest.

Senator Obama’s platform invites – yea challenges – citizens to greatness; but in so doing it also boldly threatens the comfort of the very privileged few. On this platform, no more would public office mean a guaranteed windfall of careless prestige and wealth (for lest we forget, the wealth invariably follows the prestige); elected officials would effectively be required to actually make good on their responsibility to the people. The res publica would be restored to its rightful proprietor, the people.

Perhaps it is precisely because public servants must inevitably be held more accountable to their constituents with this reawakening of the polis that there is such a widespread effort to thwart the clear reception of Senator Obama’s message. This message has repeatedly been buried under fabricated scandal and that irksomely obstinate question, "Where's the beef?” along with its various permutations (e.g. does he just talk a good talk; is he one of us; does he have enough ancestral legitimacy; is he more than just a stylish suit…). And all the while the Senator continues to point to the herd and the pasture upon which it grazes, reminding us of our patrimony as the beneficieries and stewards of the American Dream.

So can we more effectively help one another to assimilate the simple truth upon which Senator Obama's campaign is built: that the power to create the kind of world we want really is ours? Can we, together with our neighbors and colleagues, find a way to see clearly through all the muck and distraction of campaign drama that the leader who acknowledges, respects, and invokes this power is the one we should invest with the authority to govern our nation? Can we, in the plain light of day and beyond the shadow of a doubt, see that every time Senator Obama speaks in his capacity as a public servant, he demonstrates the he is that leader?

Perhaps we can. It is a widely documented fact that whenever people listen to the Senator, even if only for five minutes, they experience something they had forgotten was possible: they are inspired. The press, in its limited imagination, has not known any better than to call it the 'rock-star' phenomenon. But such language underestimates the intuitive clarity that people experience upon listening to Senator Obama. Yes, the cadence of the Senator’s eloquent delivery is eminently agreeable, and he has been known to use the occasional anaphora; but never has he spoken in rhyming couplets nor alliterated his way through social issues. And even so, nothing that rock stars have done can compare to the flame of inspiration Senator Obama has ignited in the hearts and minds of his fellow citizens. (Bono and Bob Geldof and Jovanotti might routinely speak on political issues, but it is not their politics that moves people. Senator Obama, for his part, has not released a Rock album, although he did win a Grammy for the audio version of Dreams from my Father). To call Senator Obama a rock star is a rhetoric means of diminishing the gravity of his political mission by recontextualizing it as merely the latest fad. Yet we need only listen to the Senator himself to discover a political sage whose obvious popularity is only the surface expression of the profound intuitive and reciprocal connection he continually makes with his felow citizens.

In the brief (3 min) January 20 message where he explains his reasons for creating a presidential exploratory committee, Senator Obama goes directly to the core of his mission: the presidency is not to be pursued "on the basis of media hype or personal ambition alone." He then offers a comprehensive assessment of the challenges the nation faces at home and abroad and ends with an invitation to the citizens to start thinking about THEIR role in reclaiming the country. The "Announcement Preview" (2 mins) on February 9th has an equally direct message: in it Senator Obama acknowledges that he is but one man and communicates his willingness to take up the responsibility of serving the nation's needs. In closing, he reiterates that the campaign will be a vehicle for the hopes and dreams of the American citizen; it will be an open invitation to us to re-engage in having a voice in the decisions that affect our everyday lives.

This message, succinct, clear and comprehensive as it is, still has to penetrate the protective shield of honest skepticism; it will also have to overcome the resigned intertia of a battle weary electorate; and it will have to stand up to the aggressive intrigue of those who believe that this is just a game where the one who hits hardest or dies with the most toys wins.

And so perhaps the greatest challenge that Senator Obama's campaign poses is in fact to us: can we, faced with such daunting obstacles, reclaim responsible ownership for the privileges of democracy in the wealthiest and most powerful nation on the planet?