Posts with the tag south carolina

UNITED AGAINST RACISM

WEBMASTER — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 12:46:34 EDT

Hi Friend

There is a new group that just started on Facebook that I thought Organizing for America members may be interested in joining. Please see United Against Racism -

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/354956/80588439?m=9dc74a6e

United Against Racism

posted by David Apperson

Wilson of South Carolina Has To Go !!

Dave R — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 22:30:42 EDT

It is a fact that Wilson of South Carolina must resign his office. He should stop all public communications and just resign. He knows his behavior cannot stand. He will be taunted by the comedians and the media from now on. Anyone who associates with him should get a reality check. If he does not resign he should be removed from office. He should get off the Goverment payroll and Government benefits now. He can always get a job with Limbaugh and Beck.

Hello South Carolina

Margaret — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 10:06:13 EDT

Hi I have just moved to South Carolina, the low country to be exact. I was really happy to see how many supporters in this area are listed on this webpage and am looking to connect to fellow supporters to see how I can get involoved locally with the healthcare reform debate, the economy, and just plain politics as usual.

I do hope we can connect and plan some events in the low country to reach out to our communities and strengthen the voice for change.

Hello South Carolina, it is nice to be here, a beautiful state with warm friendly people, now we just have to work on our politicians!

Margaret

Democrats need to act Democratic in S.C.

Jamie Sanderson — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 07:20:03 EDT

It's not as far fetched as it seems. Democrats in the state of South Carolina act as if they'll be shipped out of state for merely standing behind the principles of the party itself. In order to please the voters, they moderate themselves into "Blue Dog" status. They please the base, but won't reach out beyond to attract progressives. Instead, they fear a backlash from the state's dominant party's voters who crossvote.

I say enough is enough.

In 2008, we organized like crazy in this state. The Democratic presidential primary proved we could move people to vote, even those who hadn't voted for decades. Not only did a black presidential candidate do wonders, but principles meant something to the people who voted.

I stare at a campaign flier everyday I write here and it reads, in part:

YES WE CAN FIGHT FOR JUSTICE AND EQUALITY

YES WE CAN GIVE EVERY CHILD A CHANCE TO SUCCEED

YES WE CAN HEAL THIS NATION

YES WE CAN REPAIR THIS WORLD

YES WE CAN, SOUTH CAROLINA

Now, I expand in my words:

YES WE CAN FIX OUR ECONOMY

YES WE CAN ELECT A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR

YES WE CAN WORK TO END DISCRIMINATION

YES WE CAN PROVIDE BETTER HEALTH CARE

YES WE CAN PROTECT MANUFACTURING IN SOUTH CAROLINA

YES WE CAN SUPPORT PUBLIC EDUCATION

YES WE CAN HAVE A HIGH-QUALITY PUBLIC EDUCATION

YES WE CAN WORK TOGETHER AND CHANGE THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

Fellow South Carolinians and Democrats alike, I urge you all to face the facts that it's up to us to change this state. It's our fear to stand out that allows the Republican fear machine to control this state. It's our apathy during city, county and state elections that allow the Republicans to grab seats that make progress more difficult. It's our ignorance that allows Republicans to convert the hard-working people of this state to vote against their pocketbooks and wallets in favor of social issues.

It's our job to take this state back from the grips of people like Jim DeMint, Lindsey Graham, Mark Sanford and others who'll tell us to thump our Bibles, but look away as I stray. They'll tell us they support freedom, but will dedicate a book tour to railing against the very same freedoms we have. They'll say they aren't free traders, but vote for every single free trade agreement.

These Republicans play with your head to stay in power. They fear you to keep quiet. They'll dress up and pour tea out, hold up "Nazi Obama" signs and desecrate our Democratic leaders actions to save this country.

Are you all going to take this? When is it enough for you?

A blogger said in a commentary against me that I am running down people in order to get votes for the Democratic Party. Let me be perfectly clear. I AM running down and showing open contempt to idiotic republicans in this state. I could care less about them voting for us. They are in the same mindset as the blogger: "Liberals will let America die."

Friend, you GOPhers killed this country a long time ago. Fortunately, enough progressive people came to the polls in 2006 and 2008 to change the tide. Unfortunately, this state lags behind.

Liberals care for people, this country and its laws. The dismal record republicans have on law obedience is enough to scare our Founding Fathers back to life.

I am asking for Democratic people in this state to wake up and make a move. Start a blog, write a letter to the editor, join a campaign, make a donation to the state Democratic party, hold neighborhood meetings, host a fundraiser. There's plenty to do. If you're bashful, then e-mail me or comment back. I'll help you.

We need to build on our foundation we cemented back in 2008 in this state. We need to stop petty bickering, the need to be popular and the unwillingness to communicate. We need to be DEMOCRATS!

Especially in this state, the need is most prevalent.

To any Democratic state legislators reading this, I want you all to know I am seriously working my butt off to make sure progressive issues are carried through in this state and am paying attention to detail. If you want the support and voluntary canvassing, phone calling and meetings then you need to follow Democratic principle.

Stand for the jobless. Stand for the uninsured. Stand for the poor. Stand for the middle class. Stand for the small businesses. Stand for the steel industry and all industries abroad. Stand for unionization efforts.

Stand for Democratic people.

Stand for South Carolina.

Organizing for America is on the ground in South Carolina! Join us at the OFA Listening Tour event in Charleston on Tuesday, June 23rd

Nora Kravec — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 19:20:04 EDT

Organizing for America is on the ground in South Carolina! Join us at the OFA Listening Tour event in Charleston on Tuesday, June 23rd

Who: South Carolina Organizing for America
What: Listening Tour: Charleston
When: Tuesday, June 23rd, 7-8:30 p.m.
Where: Felix Pinckney Community Center
             4790 Hassell St.
             North Charleston, SC 29405

RSVP here:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/meeting/gpcltr

Organizing for America is launching its 15-stop South Carolina Listening Tour in Charleston on Tuesday, June 23 at 7p.m.

Please attend our Listening Tour Meeting and meet our new state staff members, SC State Director Anton Gunn and SC Field Director Byron Wellman. You'll have an opportunity to let us know how you would like to see OFA develop as we grow the grassroots organization together. If you need more information about the event, please call 843-607-5921.

A message from OFA State Director Anton Gunn:

”At Listening Tour stops, you'll get a chance to learn about OFA's goals and accomplishments, hear about some lessons learned during the election, and offer your thoughts on how we can organize South Carolina going forward. Your ideas will be used to write a South Carolina-specific plan for Organizing for America.

The campaign brought an unprecedented number of new voices into the process -- we need to make sure those voices remain at the center of the debate as the President and Congress work to fix our health care crisis, reinvest in our schools, and jumpstart a new green economy.

But these stops are not just for folks who were involved in the campaign -- we hope that every South Carolinian will get involved.

We can't stop growing our movement now. We've never had a better opportunity to shape our future -- and just like during the election, we'll do it from the bottom up.”

Please RSVP at:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/meeting/gpcltr

See you on the 23rd!!!

Used the Phone Tool, Got Happy

William Hamilton — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 19:03:56 EDT

I had an hour to kill this afternoon, so I decided to fire up the call tool and make a few calls for next weekend's service project. I've made less than my share of phone bank calls, but we're trying to clear a field on Saturday and I want to get full value out of the effort. I'm getting pretty astonishing responses. People are tremendously positive. I'm not sure who is on this list or why, but these people are ready to do something. They like the President and they're tired of sitting around watching people like Sanford screw up their lives. We'll see if we end up with warm bodies at ECCO on Saturday for the Phillips Project, but people are glad to hear from someone calling on behalf of the President. I threw the script away and pitched the Phillips Project and the Tuesday meeting. Several people gave me email addresses so I could send them invitations. I was very encouraged. It would be worth your while to make some calls. We've got people out there and we might be able to bring them in. These calls may be singing to the Choir, but they like the music.

Film Suggestions for N. Chas. August Dinner & Movie

William Hamilton — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:18:45 EDT

We’re developing a concept for a progressive/liberal dinner and a movie program in N. Charleston in early August.

The event will include an informal 6 pm dinner at a nearby restaurant within walkable distance to the theater, followed by the film at 8. We plan to show a documentary short and a feature length film. Afterwards they’ll be a short discussion.

We’re soliciting suggestions for small independent progressive feature films and documentaries which might be of interest to a Lowcountry Audience. These will be reviewed for cost and content and reduced to an electronic ballot which will be put up as a blog post on Indigo Journal www.indigojournal.com on June 23rd. Voting on the films will continue until July 8, both online and with paper ballots at selected events during that period. We’re attempting to focus on a health care theme, but we’re open to other films which focus on progressive change, social and economic justice and liberal politics. We’re going to try to avoid films which have already had extensive local theatrical exposure since we have to cover rental. Hopefully previews for all the films will be available online so you can get an idea of what you’re voting for. If necessary, we’ll have a quickie run off between the films getting the largest number of votes on July 9 & 10 (ending at 5 pm).

We’re also taking suggestions on the introductory short.

Send your film suggestions to me at wjhamilton@wjhamilton.com. If you can include a link to a website or youtube promo video, that would be welcomed. Try to send the full title of the film, the year it was released and the name of the director if you can.

See you at the movies.

June 27th. Event in the Phillips Community, Mt. Pleasant, SC

William Hamilton — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 09:53:32 EDT

We've finished planning for our June 27th. service project here. We'll be helping build a bus stop for school children and improving the future site of a proposed civic center in the Phillip's Community.

I've put all the details in an illustrated blog entry on Indigo Journal

http://www.indigojournal.com/diary/886/operating-with-a-swing-blade

This event will end with a picnic presented by the Phillips Community

Charleston Healthcare Reform Effort Kicks Off

William Hamilton — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:07:29 EDT

We started the local Health care reform effort with a coffee shop drop in this morning. Details and images can be found on my primary blog on Indigo Journal, SC's progressive blog site.

We'll blog the effort throughout the next 10 days, putting up as much as we can about the Charleston area effort

http://www.indigojournal.com/userDiary.do?personId=150

Healthcare Campaign and Spoleto in Charleston, SC

William Hamilton — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:17:38 EDT

We're getting ready for the Healthcare effort here in Charleston, South Carolina. It's also the time of our world famous Spoleto Arts Festival. Fortunately these two things are related, as any art organization executive director sweating a budget can tell you when they're not begging for a grant.

We've just posted a blog entry on Indigo Journal about reaching out to local artists regarding the Health Care issues. Many independent artists don't have access to healthcare and rising costs burden and somtimes kill, larger artistic organizations. We've got some figures to share.

It this seems a bit cute, it does make a valiid point and with Charleston awash in parties, we're trying to swim with the current a bit. We'll be handing out copies of the release as a flyer during this week.

http://www.indigojournal.com/diary/837/spoleto-artists-and-hospitality-workers-who-lack-healthcare-focus-of-local-obama-effort

Phoning with POTUS

William Hamilton — Fri, 29 May 2009 09:29:49 EDT

You can read and reply to my blog post on Indigo Journal about yessterday's phone call with the President on Healthcare, made from Air Force One.

Phoning with POTUS - Indigo Journal, South Carolina Progressive Blogsite

I also referenced the Health Care Campaign with OFA in my weekly Newspaper column.

http://www.moultrienews.com/porches/Starting-South-Carolina-summer-with-a-short-list

East Cooper Healthcare Reform Effort in Support of Obama Plan Begins June 6

William Hamilton — Tue, 26 May 2009 18:01:07 EDT

For Immediate Release

Mt. Pleasant, SC- The East Cooper Democrats and Organizing for America (OFA) will hold a Saturday, June 6 breakfast to help begin the national campaign for healthcare from 9-11 a.m. at Gullah Cuisine 1717 US 17N, Mount Pleasant, (843) 881-9076. The cost is $7/person for scrambled eggs, grits, ham, coffee/tea and juice. To RSVP for the meeting and learn more about the Healthcare effort, register for the event online at www.barackobama.com by searching for events in the 29464 zipcode. Local efforts will be updated with code “#ofa” on Twitter and South Carolina OFA’s and the East Cooper Democrats pages on Facebook.

At the breakfast the group will collect donations of toothpaste, toothbrushes and mouthwash for use at local free dental clinics.

The lack of affordable, accessible healthcare is having drastic impacts on Mt. Pleasant families.

A Mt. Pleasant homemaker lost her health insurance coverage last year when her husband was laid off. The family purchased COBRA coverage for a year at a cost of $350 per month just to cover her while her husband relied on VA benefits, but the family was forced to stop purchasing COBRA because they could not pay their other bills. Unfortunately her husband was laid off before the Federal COBRA Stimulus subsidy program implemented by the Obama administration began.

A Father lost his job in early this year. While he was able to enroll his children in the SCHIP program expanded by the Obama administration which provided healthcare coverage to four million more children, unemployment benefits couldn’t cover the cost of COBRA coverage for the whole family, food and housing costs.

A disabled educator waited two years after qualifying for disability to obtain Medicare coverage.

Organizing for America in South Carolina and the East Cooper Democrats are committed to organizing a local effort to help achieve health care reform around President Obama’s three principles that any comprehensive health care reform must achieve: (1) reduce costs, (2) guarantee choice, and (3) ensure all Americans have quality, affordable health care. Their goal is to achieve this by the end of this year.

The June 6 East Cooper kickoff Breakfast is one of over 10 events being planned for South Carolina’s 1st. Congressional District, currently represented by Republican Congressman Henry Brown, who enjoys lifetime coverage under the congressional plan of the quality President Obama believes, should be available to all Americans. The group will work with other health care advocates in the First District to persuade Congressman Brown to help his constituents receive healthcare benefits as good as the Congressman enjoys. Healthcare advocates hope to hold their Congressman to his recent statement that, “There is clearly a health care crisis in this country, and I want you to know that I am doing everything I can to find a remedy.”

The group hopes their Congressman will work with them and President Obama to find that remedy.

END END END

Relevant Links

White House Health Care Reform Page

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Health-Reform-Urgency-and-Determination/

June 6 East Cooper Breakfast Event Registration, search for 29464 events and find other events in your area.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/healthcareorganizingkickoff/gpcs2k

Organizing for America – Healthcare Page

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/organizingforhealthcare

East Cooper Democrats – Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=61199296690

Organizing for America – SC, Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=47873441228

Twitterfeed – OFA

http://search.twitter.com/search?q=ofa

SC Campaign for Universal Heathcare Begins June 6

William Hamilton — Fri, 22 May 2009 12:51:33 EDT

The campaign for universal access to healthcare will kick off nationally and in South Carolina on June 6, 2009 under the leadership of President Barack Obama and an expanding Organizing for America (OFA) effort.

In a regional conference call on Thursday, May 21, Obama campaign veterans from around the state coordinated strategy with other community organizers throughout the states of North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and South Carolina.

The time to organize and build coalitions is at hand in the Palmetto State.

I've written a detailed blogpost on Indigo Journal with the relevant links:

http://www.indigojournal.com/diary/816/campaign-for-healthcare-kickoff-june-6

Thanks for the Wire Jamie

William Hamilton — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:58:28 EDT

“I’m Sorry” isn’t much of a response to what has happened to Jamie Sanderson, one of our states’s most active progressive bloggers. I write this to do better by him and his friends at the Steel Mill in Georgetown, informed yesterday that their mill will be shutting down in July than my facebook comment last night.

Read the full blog post on Indigo Journal

Wagons Circled, Rations Low, Cavalry on the Way

William Hamilton — Wed, 06 May 2009 11:35:36 EDT

I've just posted a detailed blog entry on what our friends in Washington appear to be arranging for South Carolina. It's a serious, multi leval challenge to consevative control of the state. We're a long way from winning here, but we're by no means abandoned.

South Carolinians in the administration, plans to deploy Organizing for America within the state, a fifty million national program to promote and replicate innovative non profit initiatives for social change and our vastly improved communication infrastructure combine to make permenant conservative control of South Carolina less than certain.

If you're looking for an easy fight for the future, that is going to be somewhere else, but if you think the President and his friends from South Carolina have forgotten us, you will be delighted to discover you're wrong.

Read about it on Indigo Journal

http://www.indigojournal.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=763

I posted it there, because I wanted to include some images.

I don't feel bad about discussing this publically because our opposition isn't as dumb as they act and they know perfectly well what is going on. The national liberal/progressive movement plans to challenge political control in the red "refuge states."

That's the origin of all the agressive conservative politcal activity here in SC, the fear of a challenge in their home base of deep red states.

Carol Temple's May 4 Remarks on Vouchers and School Choice

William Hamilton — Tue, 05 May 2009 12:00:43 EDT

I've just posted the full remarks, as prepared, of Dr. Carol Temple on the School Voucher Tax Credit and Choice issue from the May 4, 2008 NAACP forum in Charleston, SC. There are a lot of facts and research here which may be of interest and use to others.

It's posted, with a precious image of Senator Ford's empty chair on the Indigo Journal South Carolina Progressive blog site.

http://www.indigojournal.com/diary/759/carol-a-tempels-thoughts-on-school-vouchers-and-choice

Art Exhibit in Charleston for Obama

William Hamilton — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:10:26 EDT

Last night an exhibit opened in Charleston at the Plum Elements gallery on lower King Street featuring art inspired by the first 100 days of the Obama Presidency. The dozen works displayed in the intimate, bright white space address the hope and change of the first 100 days in a variety of ways, from photo realistic paintings of the swearing in to ceramic pitchers symbolizing the old and new administrations. Last night’s opening was attended by about 75 people and the exhibit remains open until mid May at the gallery just north of Queen Street, opposite the Charleston Library Society.

At the opening I met a group of Obama supporters distinctly different from those who work on state political issues. Many had a purely national focus on politics. I also learned that a party celebrating 100 days of Obama drew over 200 guests on Logan Street Wednesday evening.

I’ll have a video report on the opening posted over the weekend on Youtube and linked to my blog on Indigo Journal and my facebook and twitter feeds http://twitter.com/wjhamilton29464 , but you can go see the art now. See their website for full details on the gallery http://www.plumelements.com/ In addition to large art works, the gallery has a wonderful collection of decorative items and gifts. Consider supporting a local gallery not devoted to shrimp boats and beach scenes with a visit and a purchase if you can.

Update Charelston Celebrates First 100 Days of Obama

William Hamilton — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:48:58 EDT

Supporters of the President be marking 100 days of Obama with four events in Charleston. I'll be tweeting from these events, Wed to Friday. I had proposed a tweet code earlier, but I've since learned another has been globally adopted

To search for tweets relevant to the 100 day observances everywhere use "#100days" without the quotation marks or just use this link

http://search.twitter.com/search?q=100days

I'm monitoring the global tweets which include that code now. You can too using a website like monitter
http://www.monitter.com/
or an application like Tweetdeck

You can follow my tweets on all subjects at
http://twitter.com/wjhamilton29464

Most of the Charleston events are listed on the Organizing for America Website

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/search_results?orderby=day&zip_radius[0]=29464&zip_radius[1]=15&radius_unit=miles&country=US

Another, interesting event is not listed, an art gallery event on Thursday downtown featuring art from the Inauguration

Thursday, April 30 from 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Host: John Zinsser, Location:

Plum Elements (Charleston, SC)

161 1/2 King Street

Charleston, SC 29401

My Porches to Sidewalk’s Column this week is on being an Obama Supporter in a Red State amid an economic crisis

http://www.moultrienews.com/porches/Liberals-of-E--Cooper-to-celebrate-Obama-s-100th-day

I hope to see, tweet and hear from some of you in all of this, online or in person. As difficult as it is in SC, we should enjoy the hope and change we’ve seen.

Update Rescue Camp Demonstrators Trying to Reach Senators Graham and DeMint

William Hamilton — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:33:25 EDT

April 27, Charleston, SC- The Rescue Campers West of the Ashley demonstrating to raise awareness of the plight of Child Soldiers abducted to carry weapons and fight in the civil war in Uganda are now in their third day of greeting visitors and trying to obtain the attention of political leaders from their camp behind the West Ashley Barnes and Nobel on Wallace School Road. As of 1 am, April 27 only 10 of over 200 demonstration camps were still active, the others having been “liberated” by a visit from a person of major influence from Government or the Media. The hard reality of attempting to obtain the attention of South Carolina’s conservative political leadership has begun to sink in. While it appeared that local officials such as Joe Riley wanted to help, the campers have concluded that changing the world requires reaching their US Senators, Republicans Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint.

According to Lauren Henke at (214) 334-4547, they’re being joined by activists from other camps around the country who have already successfully concluded their events. They’re considering their options, but for now, they plan to stick it out in their make shift camp on Wallace School Road.

On Sunday Mike Rukes, a Democrat running for DeMint’s Senate Seat, visited the camp. Expressions of support have been emerging from the community as local internet media connect with the effort.

On Monday the campers plan to send a delegation downtown to raise awareness, visiting Marion Square and other places. While downtown, they’ll visit Sen. Jim Demint’s local office in the US Custom House.

I’ll attempt to tweet the effort at DeMint’s office live from wjhamilton29464. I’m blogging this effort from www.indigojournal.com.
Last night a video shoutout was posted on behalf of the Charleston effort at 1 am.
http://nightof.therescue.invisiblechildren.com/2009/04/27/joel-hamilton-calls-out-charleston/

Rescue Campers in West Ashley Waiting to Help African Child Soldiers

William Hamilton — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 13:58:10 EDT

April 26, 2009, Charleston, SC- The campers have moved to the corner of a busy intersection behind a suburban Barns and Nobel where cars wiz by on their way to the beach on a warm April Sunday afternoon. They are trapped and await rescue as do the thirty thousand children in Uganda, the Congo and Sudan who are carrying weapons in a war they did not start, do not understand and cannot escape without our help.

These campers have committed to live in third world conditions like that of the child soldiers until major political leaders acknowledge their movement and agree to work towards bringing the abductor war lords in Uganda, the Congo and Sudan to justice and the battle scarred and abused children home to their families. As of 1 pm Sunday, they’re out at the corner of Highway 61 and Old Wallace Road, behind the Barnes and Noble waiting on a Senator, Mayor or Congressman to visit and “liberate” them.

Some of the campers have gone back to school. Others, from Cities where the event has already been successfully concluded by the arrival of a person of compassionate influence have been liberated and are on their way to reinforce Charleston. They’re going to camp on a nearby lot and demonstrate on that corner until the Political system responds. They are peaceful, positive and friendly, but they’re out there trying to change the world.

You can call Lauren Henke at (214) 334-4547 at the camp for an update on how they’re doing. You can follow this hundred city international effort on their website http://store.invisiblechildren.com/.

They have circulated petitions and written letters, but the indifference of our times pushes those of goodwill and hope to commitments which confront a society obsessed by the recession’s disruptions of their shallow material expectations. We may miss a vacation. Our children may have to trade their worn out Nikes for shoes from pick and pay. It’s hard to remember how lucky we are.

We could be losing sleep at night wondering if our 12 year old son has been killed in the unending civil war in Uganda, an unwilling and uncomprehending conscript in a contest which looks more like a war between street gangs than a military contest. We don’t have to live that way and we forget that tens of thousands of families in villages in Africa do. Some children get wounded. Some get raped. Some get killed.

These Rescue campers in Charleston want us to remember. They want our leaders to act. They didn’t fully understand how conservative and complacent South Carolina is when they committed to this. Most have little experience with politics and community organizing. They’re a collection of college students and church volunteers led by a few activists.

If you know someone of political influence, ask them to pay a visit. Go by yourself to say thanks and shake hands. Learn about what they are doing.

Remember we are all captives of the indifference and complacency which surrounds us. Even those of us who fight hard and long know the frontiers of what we achieve are limited by the attitudes which infect our culture. Let’s make sure our encouragement reaches these people so they successfully conclude their campout and their witness reaches and liberates the children whose pictures hang from the tent ropes.

END END END

Stop Calling Mark Sanford!

William Hamilton — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:04:16 EDT

STOP CALLING MARK SANFORD!

Only two days remain before the deadline for SC Governor Mark Sanford to accept 700 million dollars in Federal Stimulus Funds for South Carolina. Over 150 million of that money would be targeted to a state educational system which has already taken over 300 million dollars in budget cuts resulting in slashed college budgets, fewer course selections in our high schools, larger classes and stripped down administrative supervision and guidance counseling when our students and their families struggle with stress.

The world looks at South Carolina as a place gone so wrong It’s unlikely investment, talent or jobs will be coming here if the global economy recovers. Low wages, once SC’s miserable ace in the hole for recruitment can’t beat China and Mexico.

Governor Sanford, who has earned his money in the sweatless shell games of banking and real estate is deaf to the problems of his state. Never having experienced unemployment, he can’t believe a quarter of a million hard working South Carolinians can’t find a job. His biggest problem is trying to sell a 3.5 million dollar beach house on Sullivan’s Island. Fox News has the governor on speed dial.

Sanford dreams of dancing to the White House with Sarah Palin. He’s received hundreds of thousands of phone calls, emails and letters. 75 protested in Charleston on Tuesday. Over 500 in Columbia rallied at the Statehouse a day later. When it’s too late, there will probably be tens of thousands, including PTA soccer Moms who voted Republican and are now watching years of volunteer work and fundraising being burned to the ground. Sanford isn’t going to listen. He thinks he is going to trade his beach house for the White House. Nothing is going to get through to Sanford.

CALL YOUR LEGISLATOR INSTEAD

Call your State Representatives and Senators and tell them this. Sanford doesn’t have to run for reelection. They do. Republicans dominate SC Government and they’ll be held collectively responsible for what happens here. Obama left a large, experienced campaign machine on the ground in SC. Online communication networks, voter databases, personal relationships, experienced volunteers and access to national fundraising sources are all being carefully tuned and oiled for 2010. We have tens of thousands of friends from out of state eager to help and SC exiles around the world, driven from their state by a lack of opportunity, happy to send checks back home. A new generation of young, ambitious candidates are beginning to appear, smart and strong enough to campaign 18 hours a day, on the sidewalks and online.

If the Republicans commit South Carolina to economic decline by slashing education and alienating the Federal Government, which is in the midst of coordinating a massive national recovery program, they’ll pay for it. They may be able to hold the Republican base in the upstate, but they’ll lose ground in the Lowcountry, Midlands and through the “Corridor of Shame.” All the Democrats need is a galvanizing cause to severely compromise the Republican grip on South Carolina.

The Republicans in the Legislature need to control their Republican Governor. If they can’t, many should prepare for an expensive reelection fight.

CALL YOUR LEGISLATORS AND TELL THEM THAT.

Facebooking SC’s Political Future

William Hamilton — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:20:08 EDT

Facebooking SC’s Political Future

SC Porgressives and Democrats are leveraging Internet activity from the Obama Campaign into a system which can coordinate and mobilize the energy and brains of people interested in working for a better South Carolina for everyone.

Resources are online now that will connect you with people who will help you organize, be heard and impact the legislature and government all the way to our White House. You can share ideas, images and video from events like this one and make them available to friends.

You’re not alone and as much as conservatives politicians in South Carolina attempt to pretend they’re not listening, we’re really starting to bother them. Our campaign on the web will magnify our efforts on the streets and ultimately in the halls of government. We’ll stop bothering them after we replace them.

Connect today

This rally has a facebook page. Go there after this event to see and share video and still images from today’s event at Brittlebank Park. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=76912251352

Tomorrow’s rally in Columbia has an event page as well. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=152633165004

There are facebook group pages for South Carolina Democrats, Charleston County Democrats, and South Carolina Progressives. Connect anywhere on Facebook and you’ll soon know what is going on with progressive politics in SC before you read it in the paper.

See these websites, with event listings and blogs.

State Democratic Party - http://www.scdp.org/

http://www.charlestondemocrats.net/

Sign up to follow tweets through twitter.com on the internet or your cell phone. Today’s event at Brittlebank will be tweeted live at http://twitter.com/wjhamilton29464 I tweet daily on local social and political issues.

The Obama Campaign website is still active and supporting community organizing across the state. It’s now rebranded organizing for America and brings together over 10 million people.

http://www.barackobama.com/index.php

Mt. Pleasant Town Election on Facebook

William Hamilton — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:50:07 EDT

Facebook now includes a web page which allows interested Mt. Pleasant residents and voters to comment, post video about and share images pertaining to the upcoming November 2009 Mt. Pleasant Town elections. The Facebook group is open to anyone who wants to submit content and is monitored by local columnist, attorney and political activist William Hamilton.

The page and group can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=84776543688 and became operational March 25. It joins other Face Book group pages of local political interest such as Lowcountry Young Republicans, East Cooper Democrats and Impeach Mark Sanford.

According to Hamilton, the page will allow candidates and supporters to create the sort of coffee shop political awareness once common in Towns like Mt. Pleasant, but which has faded as the community has been diluted by sprawl and the automobile. “It’s hard to know what people are thinking and we hope this resource will give candidates a way to collect input and solicit support. It may be more effective than doing door to door visits on Sunday afternoons in August when everyone’s on vacation or at the beach.”

Candidates can connect their campaign Facebook pages and websites to the Town Election Page and voters will be able to migrate freely from one to the other. Candidates can send “Tweets” via Twitter using their cell phones to their face book pages, allowing supporters to follow the campaigns while the candidates are on the go. Campaigns can post videos which give them the option of television like content without the high expenses or 30 second time limit.

This Fall’s election will be the first held in November after voters approved a 14 month delay in the election and term extension to enable Town elections to be held on odd years in November. Low turnout for September elections and the difficulty of campaigning during the summer months was believed to result in lower voter interest. These new elections will be held at the peak of the Fall civic season, when homeowner’s associations and issue groups can hold forums and engage the electoral process.

Those with questions can visit the Facebook page or email Hamilton at wjhamilton@wjhamilton.com.

END END END

How Loyal is the Loyal Opposition?

Eric from Covina, CA — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:32:40 EDT

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

How Loyal is the Loyal Opposition?

From this point on I pledge to stop using the terms "conservative" and "Republican" interchangeably. I'm beginning to realize there's a big difference between the two. Conservatives are loyal and well-meaning Americans of good faith who just happen not to share my opinion of what's in the best interest of America. On the other hand, it has become clear that the Republican Party has crossed the line between the loyal opposition, and subversion.

Pending Early Voting Legislation in SC

William Hamilton — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:00:05 EDT

Several early voting bills are pending in the SC Legislature, some seek to regulate and expand the right to vote early. Others are an attempt to gut the right to vote early. One bill limits early voting to three days, while greatly restricting absentee voting at the same time. Here are two of the nine bills pending, with links to their text as found on the Legislative Information sytem.

Senate Version of Democratic Early Voting Bill which makes early voting easier

http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess118_2009-2010/bills/369.htm

Republican House Bill which would greatly restrict early and absentee voting in South Carolina

http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess118_2009-2010/bills/3633.htm

This bill is difficult to understand since it outreferences other sections, but it limits early voting to three days before each election. It appears to greatly restrict who can vote by absentee ballot and make that process harder. The net result of this would be to greatly limit early and absentee. It appears that people working on election day, people over 65 and the disabled would have their right to vote absentee eliminated.

The way this bill is written indicates careful checking of referenced statutes is needed to be sure what it really means.

East Cooper Transit Arrives as the Auto Drives into the Sunset

William Hamilton — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 08:55:34 EDT

Porches to Sidewalks, as published in the Moultrie News

read and comment at www.moultrienews.com

Mt. Pleasant, SC, USA- Transit progresses East of the Cooper as a changing economy and new Federal policies recognize the twilight of the car.

The automobile continues as our community’s the core symbolic possession. Our area is caricatured as a place small women drive vehicles the size of tanks. You can drive to our High School or Mt. Pleasant Town Hall, but the sidewalks don’t go all the way there. Like voting Republican, driving large vehicles long distances defines life here. Both activities have approximately the same relationship with the future for exactly the same reasons.

February auto sales were down 53 percent at General Motors, 48 percent at Ford Motors, 44 percent at Chrysler, 40 percent at Toyota and 38 percent at Honda compared with February 2008. The total number of vehicles on American roads will decline this year for the first time since WWII, falling by over a million.

Miles driven by Americans has fallen as well, continuing a trend started in 2005. December was the 14th straight month of declining highway travel, a total of 115 billion fewer miles driven since November 2007. For 2008 the number of miles driven dropped 3.6%, almost 108 billion miles less than in 2007, according to the US department of Transportation.

At the same time, Public Transit is booming. That surge didn’t end when gas prices plunged. “More than 2.8 billion trips were taken on public transportation in the third quarter of 2008 -- an increase of 6.5 percent over the third quarter of 2007. This is the largest quarterly increase in public transportation ridership in 25 years” The American Public Transportation Association.

Locally, CARTA had its best year ever, with over 4 million riders, a 20% increase. East Cooper’s fixed routes are booming. Ridership on the #40 increased from 10,569 in January 2008 to 11,883, in January 2009. Express Bus ridership grew from 10,593 to 12,623 in the same period. CARTA system farebox revenue was up 29% last year.

Increasing East Cooper CARTA Ridership brings us to the verge of new possibilities. By adding a third bus to the #40 route, service could be extended to Wando High School and the new Roper Hospital. The extension of Wingo Way through the new waterfront park might allow this route to serve hotels near the bridge more efficiently as well. Many people now believe a fixed route serving the Old Village, Rifle Range Road, the Isle of Palms and Sullivans Island is needed, at least in warm weather, replacing the current Flex Bus on demand service which is at capacity.

Decisions about new routes, stops and changes like this are driven by ridership data. East Cooper’s routes are currently outperforming routes in North Charleston and West Ashley. If we act aggressively through our municipal governments and CARTA board representatives, East Cooper can pull underutilized capacity into our area where full buses prove East Cooper will ride.

Soon GPS linked buses will further improve performance and ridership data collection. It may even be possible to dial your bus stop’s number on your cell phone and see when the next bus is expected. Not merely when it is scheduled, but an ETA generated in real time based on the current location of the bus, its speed and historic route data.

Federal Stimulus funding will allow CARTA to install new bus stop shelters and benches throughout its service area. Now is the time for East Cooper residents to lobby for shelters on their routes.

Federal stimulus funding will enable CARTA to replace part of its aging fleet, purchased after the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. Low fuel efficiency and increasing maintenance costs suggest moving these units to the parked reserve fleet would save costs. Last Fall CARTA bought a dozen used buses for about 5 Thousand Dollars each from California which had an average of 250 thousand miles on them. These were put on the road after being refurbished for about 25 thousand dollars each. Several of those units are already running on the East Cooper Express Route, providing extra buses for rush hour when those routes had standing passengers.

New hybrid electric transit buses are often much lower to the ground that CARTA’s legacy fleet of standard diesels. The American made Fisher Coachworks' lightweight hybrid operates with over twice the efficiency of CARTA’s current fleet, while providing a desirable shorter climb on to the bus. However, don’t expect CARTA’s veteran diesels to completely disappear since they’re the only type of bus which can wade through downtown Charleston’s flooded streets while keeping the floor dry.

CARTA has requested that funding previously set aside for the never constructed Futrex monorail system be reallocated for the North Area’s Passenger Intermodal Transportation Center. This shovel ready project in North Charleston would bring together a new Amtrak Station, Greyhound intercity bus service, a regional bus transit hub for CARTA and rural bus transit systems, park and ride facilities and taxi service. This center would also have some service retail such as a pharmacy, convenience store, quick serve restaurants, and dry cleaning. A short, direct bus ride from locations East of the Cooper would bring residents to the intermodal center, connecting them with ground transportation options for the entire region. The proposed commuter rail system linking Charleston and Summerville could also stop there.

There are plenty of people East of the Cooper who have no interest in transit. The Town of Mt. Pleasant’s 30 million dollar request for federal stimulus money focused exclusively on their weary quest for more and wider asphalt to reach the Never Never Land of suburban sprawl development in Awendaw which eagerly awaits the improbable simultaneous return of cheap credit and cheap gas. Perhaps during the next Town election, in November 2009, the rising number of East Cooper Transit Riders will be heard at the polls to reshape our Town Government’s priorities.

CARTA board meeting dates can be found at www.ridecarta.com. East Cooper should act to obtain service, stop infrastructure and connections which will make it competitive using the resources being distributed now.

William Hamilton (www.wjhamilton.com) is an Attorney who lives in I’On Village. You can read and comment on opinions published in the Moultrie News at www.moultrienews.com

Sanford Gets Beating in Washington Post Mar. 12

William Hamilton — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:27:52 EDT

This is one of the toughest pieces of journalism on what is happening here in South Carolina that I have seen. It is much bleaker than anything our own papers have printed.

Our Governor’s determination to grandstand is drawing national media attention. Last week’s warning shot over our High School graduation rate to Lindsey Graham was fair warning that our standard of living here doesn’t put us in a position to lecture other parts of the nation on how to govern. Graham criticized the DC school district for it’s graduation rates and national media reported ours was lower, 70 to 56%. Humiliating for South Carolina. Apparently Sanford didn’t get the message.

Perhaps this will get through to him. It’s a pounding, miserable, blow by blow account of what the recession is doing to Columbia, SC in the Washington Post.

Of course Sanford and the Republicans will ignore it. The Post is a “Liberal” paper, but the rest of the world, including those considering inventing or bringing jobs here won’t.

Read it and weep.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/11/AR2009031104388_pf.html

Livingstons of Orangeburg County, SC genealogy

Howard Livingston — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 10:08:51 EST

Looking for LIVINGSTON descendants of slaves from Orangeburg County, South Carolina and the following towns: North, Livingston, Elizabeth TWP, Bull Swamp P.O., Neeses, Norway, Willow.

Also in Cannon, Newberry County, SC.

Tony Livingston - 1820
   Wesley Livingston - 1862
           John W. Livingston - 1896
             Ernest Livingston - 1915
             Idella LIVINGSTON - 1916
            Victor Livingston - 1919
        Charley Livingston - 1900
          Herman Livingston - 1924
                Howard Livingston - 1953 (me)
     Paul F. Livingston - 1897
         Pauline LIVINGSTON - 1918
           Gertrude LIVINGSTON - 1920
             Paul F. Livingston, Jr. - 1922
             Edith LIVINGSTON - 1925
             John W. Livingston - 1928
            Clifton Livingston - 1929
       Phillip Livingston - 1901
         Dorothy LIVINGSTON - 1919
       Dan Livingston - 1903
        Clifton Livingston - 1904
             Emily LIVINGSTON - 1905
        Lonnie Livingston - 1906
        Wilson Livingston - 1908

The Georgia Campaign for Change Team needs your help to get out the vote for Jim Martin in the December 2nd Senate runoff race!

Nora Kravec — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 09:24:17 EST

Thank you for all you've done to elect Barack Obama to the Presidency. However, as Barack would say, we have more work to do. Please organize your friends, family, and neighbors to come to Georgia and get out the vote for Jim Martin, beginning Nov. 29th and running through Election Day, Tuesday, Dec. 2nd.

Jim Martin is a strong Democrat who will help President-Elect Obama bring the change we need in Washington. His opponent, Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss, has promised to be a "firewall" to block as much of Barack's change agenda as he can. Turnout will be low (potentially only half of November 4th), so every vote you turn out counts twice as much as before.

Volunteers are needed in the Atlanta metro area. The Martin campaign also has offices in Savannah, Augusta, and over a dozen other cities. Sign up here to volunteer: http://martinforsenate.com/cometoga.

If you would like to help but cannot travel, sign up here to make phone calls from home: http://martinforsenate.com/cometoga.

South Carolina Votes for Obama

Edward from Leesville, SC — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:23:44 EDT

I waited 4 hours today to cast my vote. I placed it for Obama/Bidden Ticket. From the looks of the people that I talked to about 80% vere voting for them also. I don't know if that will transfer to tuesdays vote but I think Obama has a good chance to turn South Carolina from Red state to Blue. Obama hasn't vistited since Opra I hope he doesn't forget about SC. Good luck to you

Road Trip!!!

Steve — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:19:56 EDT

I'm excited! I will be flying down to Ft. Lauderdale FL, and driving back to Chicago! On my way I will have stops in Naples FL, Tampa FL, Lake City FL, Atlanta GA, Augusta GA, Charleston SC, Chattanooga TN, Kimball TN, Nashville TN, Louisville KY, and Indy IN. (Yes, I'm taking the LONG way back). It would be great to find anyone out there to help campaign with as I take this trip. I go to FL on Oct 28, and return to Chicago on Oct 3. Anyone out there have any ideas for me, as I make my own "Campaign Trail"?

Thanks!!

Steve

Voices For Change: Helaine in South Carolina

Sarah Ramey — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:40:23 EDT

After months of phonebanking for Obama, Helaine had an epiphany.

A phone solicitor selling something or other called, and he asked if he could have a moment of my time.
I said sure. If I could have a moment of his.

She's been educating phone solicitors ever since. "That's our thing, right? One voter at a time!" she says, laughing.

Helaine is "a 63-year-old Jewish Independent, retired and on Social Security," living in South Carolina. She volunteers regularly at the Obama headquarters in her small, southern town -- and since South Carolina is a pretty red state, she spends much of her time phonebanking to the critical swing states.

"Our motto is: work like you're 20 points behind," she says. And talking to Helaine about all the extraordinary work she and her fellow South Carolinian volunteers are doing -- they must have that motto taped to the wall.

There is no doubt in my mind that Barack Obama is the one unique person we need at this time to change the direction of our country. He is intelligent, honest and instills hope at a time our country is desperate for it. He has the judgment and temperament to become one of the best presidents ever. I haven’t felt this way since JFK. Barack has inspired the younger generation to get involved in a politics the older generation regards as cynical and one that cannot be changed. He represents and brings out the best in all of us. It’s so obvious that he is the future and his opponent is the past.

Exactly.

So let's work like we're 20 points behind, and put everything we can into helping out in these crucial swing states: Ohio, Virginia, Florida, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Nevada, Minnesota, Iowa -- even Indiana and North Carolina.

Let's redraw the political map.

Do you live near any of these states?

Road trip!

Do you have a phone?

Here's one:

Before you get going, here's a few more inspiring words from Helaine:

The world is watching and has a vested interest in the outcome of this race. The stakes couldn't be higher. Barack Obama has forward vision -- he does not have the "if you're not for us, you're against us" war mentality of the past as does his opponent. I feel he would be a great Commander-in-Chief because he would use diplomacy as well as force only when absolutely necessary. He would once again make America great in the eyes of the countries of the world.
This is our time. I feel we’ve come to an important crossroads in our lives, in the direction of this country and the world. I am glad to be living in a time when my decision can make such a difference in the path our country will be taking. We cannot allow four more years of the same disastrous policies. I truly want to thank Barack, Michelle, Malia and Sasha Obama for their great sacrifice for our country to finally put the American people first. We will not let them down.

Right?

Movie Parties for W this Weekend

William Hamilton — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:36:49 EDT

On Monday afternoon, no screenings of the Oliver Stone Film, “W.” were scheduled in the Charleston area. The film had been previewed at at least two local Cinemas, but searches of the available internet motion picture websites returned now showings in Charleston, Columbia, Myrtle Beach, Savannah, Atlanta or Charlotte. It is still not know for certain why a major national feature film, previewed here, was not scheduled for any local theaters on the date of its nationwide release, however a history of cinema censorship in South Carolina raised suspicions that the freedom to screen was being abridged.

On Tuesday morning, we learned that the James Island Cinemas had booked screenings of “W.” starting Friday, October 17. Shortly after that, bookings appeared at several other area theaters. The press conference announced for Thursday, October 16 at noon at Liberty Square (Between the Aquarium and Dockside in Downtown Charleston) will go forward as planned and we’ll be announcing whatever is appropriate based on the facts as we know them at that time.

Those of us concerned with this issue are planning to attend the Friday, 7 pm Screening of “W.” at the James Island Cinemas and then go out afterwards to Buffalo South for dinner and libations. Buffallo South is located at 1409 Folly Rd, in Charleston, SC 29412.

A group visit to a screening at Cinebar in Mt. Pleasant on Saturday night is also planned. The film starts there n Saturday at 7:05 pm. They have waiter service of food and drinks at Cinebar during the film and there is a lounge area in the theater, so we’ll have our after film discussion gathering there.

We would like to thank all the people who had begun organizing locally in Charleston to be sure that people in our area had the opportunity to choose to see this film. Media reporters were working on stories, petitions were being prepared and a full range of advocacy options were being explored. Unfortunately, we’ll probably never know exactly what happened here, if anything. These community organizers’ quick response to the situation may have allowed our community to avoid the embarrassment of a very public act of suppression of freedom of speech.

END END END

Obama's SC Director to speak in Irmo

Deborah Simmel — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:04:47 EDT

The Greater Irmo Democratic Club invites you to hear Trav Robertson, South Carolina State Director for the Obama campaign, speak at their October meeting. The group will meet at Sticky Fingers Restaurant, 380 Columbiana Dr. at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16. Guests are welcome. Beverages, hors d'oeurvres and meals may be ordered from the menu. For more information, contact Bill Salter at 803-798-6893, or sign-up to receive their emails, by sending your name and contact information to GreaterIrmoDemocraticClub@earthlink.net.

Bluecasting on ION Internet Radio from Mt. Pleasant, SC

William Hamilton — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:28:28 EDT

A Radio station dedicated to hope and change is broadcasting in Mt. Pleasant, SC this weekend.

In honor of the Mt. Pleasant Changeup and concert for change, ION Internet Radio, AM 1640 will devote its programming to the musicians performing in Saturday’s concert, Sharon Robles, Nu Mythe and The Voices of Harmony. There will be segments each hour from the progressive campaigns active in the Lowcountry including Obama, the Campaign for Change Unified effort and Linda Ketner for Congress. As the weekend progresses, we’ll be adding segments recorded with the candidates and participants. We’ve even included a little material from the Republicans to make it interesting. We’ll have pointers on enjoying the weekend and getting involved in the local campaign efforts.

If you are within a mile of I’On and you like monophonic static, you can hear it at AM 1640

Everywhere else we’re online in digital internet stereo at http://www.ionradio1640.com/

Don’t listen to red radio, be blue this weekend. Pass this on by email and ask your friends to tune in.

This special program will continue to Monday Night.

If you have a recording you would like us to consider to go on the air, email it to radio@wjhamilton.com

If you see me, William Hamilton, over the weekend, I’ll have my microphone with me and I’On radio is ready to listen. We can edit your material before broadcast if you like. We’ve got software that will make you sound like you belong on the radio.

Inspired... O.B.A.M.A.

Rod J. — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 08:39:21 EDT

Ok.. I volunteer with the local Barack Obama campaign in Greenville, SC. A few weeks ago I was given the task to put together some audio to play on loud speakers in the neighborhoods that we were canvassing for voters. I went to the site www.yesewecansong.com to get music inspired by Barack. After being on the site for 2 hours watching every song video, personal testimony by individuals and ads all I could do was cry. Because I thought that all these people CAN'T BE WRONG. But then again, I thought, hey a lot of people voted for GW Bush also... lol So I didn't want to leave anything to chance by not voicing my inspiration as well to help convince people that may read this, to share it with your friends, colleagues, family and enemies. Because you just don't know who's idea or thought it may change.

All that I ask is, please do not remove my name as the author. This may be used in print for noncommercial gains but only after written permission from me. Emails request are fine by the way. You may email me at loveart864@yahoo.com

O.B.A.M.A.

As I stare into the future

The present is bleak

But on the horizon

I see a change is going to come

I see courage

I hear singing

I hear choruses

Of beautiful melodies

As I continue to look

I see that they are

White, Black, Latino, Native American and Asian

And their voices are the same

Singing, screaming, chanting

Some, out of breath, panting

In unison...

O-BAMA.. O-BAMA... O-BAMA...

O-BAMA... O-BAMA... O-BAMA...

O--BAMAAAA...

Which inspires me to pen my vision

Of the everyday Americans

Raising up an everyday American

Who cares about Americans everyday

That's studied to show himself approved

I see the future is now

One Brave American that Makes them Aspire

Millions of voices

With the same choices

One Brave American that Moves them All!

O-BAMA.. O-BAMA... O-BAMA...

O-BAMA... O-BAMA... O-BAMA...

O--BAMAAAA...

Great rally in Kingstree, SC yesterday

Patrick Frank — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:56:04 EDT

I was happy with the rally and my performance of a song for the campaign yesterday. The only glitch, for me, was a train passed by—when I was starting my song! What’s with these trains in Kingstree. Seems like they pass through every few hours. We’re on the main route to somewhere, or nowhere!

The rally was great, maybe 50-60 people, a political ally of Barack’s, Inez, She ran for U.S. senate a while back.

Little Kingstree felt like the political nexus again, just like during the primary, when Barack came to speak in the high school gym. Even a couple of reporters were there. The atmosphere was energized. 90% of the crowd was black, but at least I wasn’t the only white person—for a change. I was joined by about 4-5 other whites. There were, of course, chants of “Yes, we can” and ‘fired up…” and a few speeches.

I spoke for a couple of minutes after my song—explained why I plan to vote for Barack.

It was great to see the smiles on everyone's faces!

South Carolina Needs Your Help to Elect Obama

Blue Girl in South Carolina — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:35:01 EDT

Now, more than ever -- this country desperately NEEDS a President who can steer this Nation in the RIGHT direction. The American people need Barack Obama's leadership, and our country's future depends on Barack's leadership.

Do you want a healthcare system that works for all American citizens?
Do you want an economy that will help this nation grow financially and into a more prosperous one?
Do you want resolutions for the housing crisis and other economic issues?
Do you want education and higher education for you and your children?
Do you want a country that is secure and free from harmful regimes?
Do you want to restore the respect and dignity that this great nation once had?
Do you want a country that allows equal freedoms, liberties, and equalities to all American citizens?
Do you want a country that believe in changing this nation to a more einvironmentally-friendly one?
Do you believe in preserving our precious resources -- including forests and wildlife, like polar bears?
Do you believe that America can once again be a prosperous, healthy nation where hope is no longer a mere word, but a reality for ALL citizens?

Let's turn South Carolina PURPLE.

VOTE BARACK OBAMA/JOE BIDEN

Our lives depend on it.

A Message from Our Regional Leaders

Jeff Joslin — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:31:50 EDT

I received the following message from our Regional Leaders in the South East. John Estrada and Don Stanton are dedicated Obama Supporters who are jointly working on our behalf as the interface between the State Campaign and our National Campaign. John Estrada was the Sargent Major of the Marine Corps until his retirment in June 2007. He is a tremendous, energetic personality. He has a daughter living in the state of Georgia and plans on campaigning with us this fall.

These Dreams

Alinda in NYC — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:00:32 EDT

I have been beset with calls and inquiries as to where and how I will be watching Senator Obama's acceptance speech tonight. Mainly because some know I did some work during the primary season and I guess figured I would have been in Denver by now.

Finances and a lack of available leave time have kept me here in NYC. As to how or where I will be watching, contrary to what many I guess are choosing to do, I am not going to a watch party although I am aware of there being several going on in the area.

No I am actually going to go home from aforementioned job, and call my mom, put her and my grandmother(her mom) on speakerphone, and watch/listen along with them.

My mom and grandmom live in South Carolina, for pretty much the same reasons I couldn't go to Denver, I can't get down to watch along with them in person. However the opportunity to include them in some way in what is going to be an incredible, moment in this country's history is too good to even think about passing up.

Thanks to the wonders of modern technology I won't have to miss out on what will be a very poignant moment as three generations sit and watch Senator Obama bring things full circle. You see my mother was actually present when Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream" speech. My mother has always been whether out of necessity or choice - very progressive and active in the community. Not so much of late but I remember my mothers discourses on government and the way things being done and they stayed with me to this day. It is what motivated me to schlep down to SC for the primaries there and to volunteer what little time I could to the campaign and ultimately to set up a memorial fundraiser in my son's name.

So tonight we all will watch together - separated by distance but united in seeing a dream come to fruition.

South Carolina Brings It Home To Denver

Deborah Simmel — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:45:45 EDT

One could make a good argument that the road to this historic convention started, in earnest, with Senator Obama's outstanding victory in the South Carolina Democratic Primary. As a state, we should be proud to have recognized the unique combination of a candidate possessing an extaordinary vision of leadership and a country's overwhelming hunger for the opportunity to change.

Be sure to follow our local delegation from Lexington County and the 2nd Congressional District, and all their convention news, at www.scdpdashboard. Lexington County is proud to be represented by Kathy Hensley, Wilbur Lee Jeffcoat, Liz Brown, Inez Tenebaum, and Bridget Tripp. Anton Gunn, Deborah Breedlove, and Tieashia Odom complete the 2nd district's contingent of delegates. Columbia's own Anton Gunn is even featured in this week's issue of Time magazine. Check it out at http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1834670,00.html.

Way to go South Carolina! Let's lead the way to the White House!

250 new voters registered last weekend! Join us!

Nora Kravec — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 07:14:30 EDT

Voter registration is our ticket to victory on November 4th

There are 72 days left until the general election, and only seven more weekends left to register voters before the October 4th voter registration deadline.

Last weekend a small group of Lowcountry volunteers registered 250 voters on street corners and at community events. We need your help this weekend to turn South Carolina blue in November. Let's Make History!!!

To find and sign p for voter registration events in your area, or post your own event, go to:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/search_simple

http://www.charlestondemocrats.net/id3.html

http://www.charlestondemocrats.net/id13.html

Voter Registration Tactics

Plan ahead - it's easier to register voters at schools, churches, mall or retail stores if you have a friendly local connection. Respect the rules for registering voters at each site.
Register everyone who approaches you - respect his or her right to vote.
Target your activities to communities or organizations that are more likely to have members who will vote Democratic in November.
When asking if someone is registered to vote, don't forget to smile
Play it by ear. In some places (schools, grocery stores, etc) you can reach people by setting up a voter registration table. In other places, it's best to just wing it.
If at all possible, wear something that identifies you as a representative of the Democratic Party or your favorite candidate.
Always be respectful. You represent the Democratic Party/your favorite candidate.

The Best Places to Register New Voters

High traffic areas (beauty/barber shops, grocery stores, malls, laundromats)
Apartment buildings in Democratic-friendly areas
Bus or subway stops, parking lots (ride the bus)
Local community events, concerts or sporting events
Churches in Democratic-friendly areas
Schools and places where young people hang out
Anywhere people stand in line - the DMV, movie theaters or gas stations
Local community meetings or community centers

To Vote in South Carolina, You Must

Be a citizen of the United States
Be a resident of South Carolina
Be at least 18 years old on or before the next election
Not be confined in any public prison resulting from a conviction of a crime
Never have been convicted of a felony or offense against the election laws, or if previously convicted, have served your entire sentence, Including probation or parole, or have received a pardon for the conviction
Not be under a court order declaring you mentally incompetent
Claim the address on the application as your only legal place of residence and claim no other place as your legal residence

For more information:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/SouthCarolinaLowcountryVolunteers

lowcountryvolunteers@gmail.com

Carol Fowler Speaks Tonight at "Wine & Unwind"

Deborah Simmel — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:15:37 EDT

"Who– and What -- Revived our Interest in Politics?" is topic of the August 20th meeting of the Wine & Unwind lecture series.

Carol K. Fowler, chairperson of the South Carolina Democratic Party, active in politics for over 20 years, is a super delegate to this year's national convention. She will comment on and lead audience discussion about the phenomena of revived interest in regional, statewide and national politics. Norman Jackson, Richland County Council member, will introduce her.

"Wine and Unwind" is a lecture series which offers information and discussion on timely, intriguing or controversial topics 10 times each year. Events begin with wine and light appetizers, followed
by the presentation. For more information, call 779-1971.

WHEN:
5:30 – 7:00 pm on Wednesday, August 20, 2008.

WHERE:
The Activity Center at Maxcy Gregg Park (Capital Senior Center)
1650 Park Circle, Columbia

COST:
Admission is free - but you must be 21 or older.

Obama Campaign Names SC Director

Deborah Simmel — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:08:01 EDT

Greg Hambrick reports in the Charleston City Paper:

Senator Barack Obama’s Campaign announced today that Trav Robertson will be the state director for the campaign in South Carolina. Robertson, a veteran organizer with experience at the national, state, and local levels, will oversee field, political and communications staff throughout the state. In addition, the Obama campaign announced today that Clay Middleton will serve as political director in South Carolina.
“I’m ready to get to work building a great team in South Carolina to put Barack Obama in the White House,” Robertson said. “Obama supporters in South Carolina are ready to roll up their sleeves and begin the sprint to November because they know America cannot afford another four years of George Bush’s failed economic policies that John McCain is offering. With the right organization we will be ready for the tough fight ahead so we can elect Barack Obama and bring the change South Carolina’s families deserve.”
“Trav and Clay bring the expertise of state and national campaigns, in addition to years of organizing experience,” Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said. “They will bring an unprecedented general election campaign organization to all corners of South Carolina that will involve volunteers and supporters to be a part of changing the way Washington works. We are inviting South Carolinians to join Trav and Clay in the effort to work for every vote in the Palmetto State between now and November.”
Trav Robertson is a South Carolina native who resides in Columbia. Before joining Obama for America, Robertson served as Iowa Regional Field Director and South Carolina Field Coordinator for Gov. Bill Richardson’s presidential campaign. Robertson has served as a campaign advisor and director for a number of local, state and congressional campaigns in South Carolina. He has a B.A. from the University of South Carolina.
Clay N. Middleton is a Charleston native. In 2008, he ran for the SC House of Representative narrowly losing in the runoff. He is a graduate of The Citadel and an Iraq War Veteran. During his tour of duty Clay earned the Bronze Star Medal. Middleton has also worked as a Regional Field Organizer for the SC Democratic Party in a partnership with the DNC. Before joining Obama for America, he was the Lowcountry Coordinator for Congressman James E. Clyburn House Majority Whip and he remains a Captain in the SC Army National Guard.

By Greg Hambrick | Posted in News, News (Election '08), The Back Channel, Uncategorized

Source link: http://news.ccpblogs.com/2008/08/14/local-clay-middleton-an-obama-sc-campaign-leader/

New SC Obama State Lapel Pins

Deborah Simmel — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:54:02 EDT

Just found this great new item in the Obama store. A South Carolina shaped, enameled lapel pin featuring the Obama Campaign Logo. Surely destined to become the must-have fashion accessory for fall. Get yours before they're gone, wear it with pride, and let's show everyone what good judgement and discernment in taste look like!!

http://store.barackobama.com/product_p/lp00010.htm

Pride Charlotte, Obama style

Scott Testerman — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:20:53 EDT

If you haven't attended Pride Charlotte, this year will be a great year to start. One reason: it's an official Obama Campaign for Change Pride event, and your help is needed.

Email to a Missouri volunteer

Patrick Frank — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:54:27 EDT

Email from a grassroots volunteer from South Carolina, to Missouri folks:

That is great what you-all did with the letters to the Star. I have written dozens of letters and several opeds to papers since January, and have had three published in USA Today! Letters, I mean. I urge folks to try letters to USA Today. This is their email address: letters at usatoday dot com

I also want to encourage you to fight on, though McCain has a lead in your state. I feel sure that Obama can catch and pass McCain in Missouri. I also want to express respect for your Senator McCaskill. She is one of my VP choices.

Patrick Frank

Visions of Obama

Henry M — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:54:24 EDT

In case anyone thinks that people know the difference between truth and fiction, or that racism isn't part of this race, here's a South Carolina Senator who thinks that Obama/Osama is just great, or at least funny: http://kevinbryant.com/2008/07/18/vacation-and-funny-picture/

Sigh.

Support Obama Now!

Thanks.

Henry M

Please contribute to Obama if you can: http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/PListe4Obama

If you appreciate my blog, then how about being my friend on the My.BarackObama.com network: http://my.barackobama.com/page/socialnet/register/33qzpcr2sl

Welcome Lexington County!

Deborah Simmel — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:16:36 EDT

Welcome Lexington County Obama supporters! Please join, and invite your family, friends, and neighbors. This group will be a great place for all of us to interact, grow our numbers, and post information on any local events as we get ready for the fall. Please check in often, send out invitations, make a donation if you can, and add your blog entries. Let's make Lexington County an integral part of this November's historic election!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/LexingtonCountySouthCarolinaforObama

Pride, excitement and joy in the cradle of slavery

Patrick Frank — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:09:09 EDT

Letter to the Post and Courier of Charleston, SC...

I ran into a black lady at the convenience store. She saw a big Obama
sign on the back of my van. She asked me if I had another one, which I
did. I can't tell you how proud, happy, and excited she was. She
campaigned with us during the primary, and said she would come to our
meeting on the 21st.

You have to understand that this is the cradle of slavery in the USA.
These folks fought hard just for the right to vote. Now many of our
local and county officials are African-American!!

It brought tears to my eyes. This is history, folks. We are turning
another corner.

Patrick Frank
Box 1283
Kingstree, SC 29556
(843) 372-8851

South Carolina is Gearing Up

Joyce R-H — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:12:37 EDT

South Carolina is gearing up to start phone banking and canvassing throught the state Democratic Party. Be on the look out for more detailed information.

July 12th Voter Registration Drive --- Liberty Hill

Nora Kravec — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 07:40:40 EDT

Liberty Hill --- East Montague Ave. and Railroad Drive (Voter Registration Drive)

We will be registering voters at the corner of East Montague Ave. and and Railroad Drive in North Charleston on Saturday, July 12th, from 12 PM to 6PM.

If you can help out for a few hours, please join us! Call 607-3758 for directions.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4g4fd

Turn a Red State Blue? One can HOPE!

Deborah Simmel — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:52:43 EDT

Just found a terrific article from fellow South Carolinian Linda Hansen, commenting on Senator Obama's campaign for the Huffington Post's Off The Bus coverage. I feel a CHANGE in the wind. With only 144 days left before the election, it's time for every committed supporter to mulitply their efforts. Let's make this happen!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-hansen/the-audacity-of-hope-sout_b_106801.html

Thoughts for the Week

Joanne takes a stand — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 07:27:54 EDT

We have ended another week, and have many more to go until Election Day. I want to continue encouraging you to donate to Obama for President and also encourage you to buy his products and display them proudly. You never know how many people will decide to vote for him by knowing that you and others support him so proudly--they will feel that they are not alone.

Earlier in the week I was having a conversation with a male co-worker who has decided (and told me so) that he will vote for John McCain because Hillary did not win the nomination. Will he vote for him if Hillary is on the ticket as VP? I don't know. But, we argued about South Carolina. I told him that SC was going to become a swing state and vote democrat this year, in favor of Barack Obama. The primary turnout showed support for him in all but 2 counties--yes we can! To make a long story short, he told me that SC would vote republican because our state is uneducated, largely majority white, and only cares about three things--religion, guns, and abortion. I say we should prove him wrong. If we all educate others about Obama and spread how we feel, we can really have a major effect on others. So let's do as I encouraged you above--donate and display.

On another note, please visit and encourage others to visit www.fightthesmears.com to learn the truth about our future President of America. Have a good weekend.

Getting Organized in Anderson

Andrew Hammett — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 23:32:32 EDT

Now that we have a presumptive nominee, it's time for us to start getting organized in South Carolina. All Obama supporters and volunteers should come to the Anderson County Democratic BBQ on July 5th.

Check out this event for more details: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4bsh

Barack Obama can win South Carolina in November, we just have to make it happen.

See ya'll there.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4bsh

Andrew Hammett
3rd Vice Chair, Anderson County Democratic Party

Moving right along ..

Aaron — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 19:11:39 EDT

I'm writing from South Carolina, which traditionally votes Republican, but I think it can go to Obama this year. I remember the buzz during the primary -- Obama everywhere -- and he rolled onto a landslide victory. McCain also won, but not as convincingly, and Republicans didn't have near the turnout. We can turn this state blue if we get people to the polls. Sure, we only have 8 electoral votes and are not considered to be a battleground state, but every electoral vote counts, and we can make the biggest difference locally, while spending trying to affect the nation through other means (phone banking, internet messages, etc.).

As all the networks pointed out, Tuesday was an historic day. Hillary might have stolen a little bit of the spotlight when she failed to congratulate or concede, but it appears she is now falling in line behind the presumptive nominee and will campaign for him in the general election.

Having the DNC behind us is a start, but also need to reach independents and even some republican voters if we're to succeed, especially in South Carolina.

obama/clinton dream ticket fraud

jonathan | cvg — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:42:19 EDT

With Obama officially clinching the nomination, we must unify behind him. Now's the time to remember that the differences between policies Clinton and Obama proposed are not nearly as significant than the policy differences between Obama and John McCain. This is now a Democrat versus Republican policy battle and we already know where the policies of the republican party have led under Bush. As Obama pointed out in his speech Tuesday night, we must remember that McCain is perceived as a maverick or moderate within his party. He continues to point to the one or two differences he has had with Bush in the last eight years. Yet, to become his party's nominee in 2008 where he failed many times before, John McCain bought into the Republican party with his heart and soul as he saw his chances faiding and has, in fact, voted over 90% of the time in agreement with George W. Bush. A vote against Obama is a vote for Bush's Third Term. While some dissappointed Clinton supporters will act and speak out of emotion, already many admit that they intend to vote the the selected Democrat.

There has been much speculation of a "dream ticket." Clinton, as I note in an earlier blog, breathed life into this idea because the time came when even she recognized she could not win in a general election without Obama. However, as I note in an earlier blog, this is not true when Obama is the nominee. There are many well suited candidates for a running mate that will benefit Obama greater with respects to the electoral map and reaching out to working class and potentially to woman as well.

The truth remains that Obama has won for many reasons and this end result astounds me, someone who strongly backed my candidate since researching him in December. He overtook the lead from the "establishment's candidate." Clinton is someone that as first lady was rumored to run for senate in a big state to help support her future bid as president. The Kerry campaign was so poorly executed that many were left believing that the Democrats were throwing the election for a Clinton run and a Clinton win in 2008. The Clinton branding was strong and it's longevity made is seemingly impossible to overcome... 20 years of market share domination and now a new little enterprise would fend for not some, but the majority of that share. Today, it hard to believe anyone could pick off Coke or P&G. But, that is exactly what Obama accomplished. Not only did he run one of the most brilliant marketing campaigns in my time, he succeed where no person of color has succeeded in a leading nation. While some leading nations have appointed women, what I recently realized is that Obama broke a barrier that extends long past the United States.

There are petitions and emotional claims to defend the "dream ticket" and most of which stems from Clinton circles. Let's not forget that Obama won as the "change candidate" and he has brilliantly represented "new politics." Many of Obama's supporters, and rightly so, believe that the addition of anyone who epitomizes "old politics" would jeapardize our mission and cloud the message, leaving a obvious weak point of attack for McCain like the small thermal exhaust port that left the Deathstar in Star Wars open to destruction. I can almost see McCain now, "Clinton on this ticket... that's not change we can believe in." * insert insidious smirk*

Among the emotional pleas I have read are these, and given that I label them as emotional, I assert that they lack logic:

"The only way that Obama is going to reach out to the working class, Hispanics, and win the swing states is with Clinton on the ticket (he ignored Kentucky and West Virginia, so those states he has already lost without her)."

FALSE

First of all, Puerto Rico is not a state and that is precisely the contest that made Clinton's popular vote neck and neck with Obama. Puerto Ricans don't vote in the presidential election. They voted against being a state a decade ago, as they have voted twice before that when given the chance to enter into the union. I am boggled why they are awarded more delegates in the primary than many real states that do vote in the general election. Richardson and Clinton can reach out to Hispanic voters even without being on the ticket.

There are four governors in key states that each would help reach out to such voters and bring along a needed swing state. Among these four easy picks are Governor Richardson who has served under Bill Clinton, yet he may be my least favorite of the four easy picks. Ted Strickland could help with rural working class as he helped Clinton in Ohio because he is from rural Ohio and has served in the church and military. Strickland may sit at the top of my list.

Clinton does not come with a key state. Arkansas can be won by the Clinton's campaigning on behalf of Obama without her being on the ticket... as can other communities. Clinton does not need to be on a ticket to endorse and campaign heavily for a candidate to unify her party... a party, some assert, she invoked much division.What Clinton does need to do is embrace Obama for America and throw as much heart and resilience into this campaign as she did when she remained in the running for reasons I point out in my earlier blog.

Pennsylvania voted for Kerry due to the strong campaigning by governor Ed Rendell who is the same governor that campaigned for Clinton. It is widely believed that with similar campaigning by Ed Rendell in his state, any democrat can pick up the winning numbers that Kerry picked up against Bush.

New York and California are key states democrats win by wide margins as did Kerry. Although it is true Clinton won in the primary it is illogical deduction to believe that any democrat, unless that democrat was running against Ronald Reagan, could fail at winning both states handedly.

A presidential race is not won with West Virginia or Kentucky. But, if Obama is able to turn the Carolinas which Kerry failed to do even with Edwards on his ticket, that would make a difference. Obama won more votes in North and South Carolina against Clinton than the number of votes cast for McCain and Huckabee combined. The states Obama wants to tun in addition to the Carolinas are the Western States of Colorada, etc. Obama polls better in the west than rural areas like West Virgina and Kentucky where inevitably some degree of fear applies. But as I mention above, Ted Strickland comes with a key swing state and could easily reach out to the working class and Christian voters... perhaps more effectively than Clinton.

Governor Bill Ritter, a popular, young democratic in a historically conservative state, would be a better choice to aid in the West and Governor Kathleen Sebelius would successfully reach out to the identical segments that were fascinated by Clinton without compromising the message of new politics: again working class and women. Most female voters in exit polls admitted that gender was a significant impact on their decision. No other voting segment admitted to gender or race affecting the vote. Add almost any woman to a republican or democratic ticket and you will likely lure a great percentage of those voters who responded this way in exit polls.

"It would be a guaranteed 18 million votes for the Democratic party, and there is no way John McCain would have a chance."

FALSE

With this logic, or lack thereof, Obama could win with almost any running mate. While it is true that Clinton won over 17 million votes, so did Obama. In many states, Obama won more votes than Huckabee and McCain combined. To suggest that all democrats that voted for Clinton will literally stay home or vote for McCain, is not plausible. Throughout history the results in the primary does not necessarily translate into similar results in the general. That is why at this point there is no guarantee that Obama can turn the Carolinas away from Republican grasps. But, based on the primary numbers, it is the best chance the Democrats have had in decades and decades. Already, Obama's grass-roots activity is kicking up to register new democrats. This is how he closed the gap in states that Clinton was leading by 20points or more and this is how Obama won the majority of contests and clinched the democratic nomination for president. A historical achievement not only for the United States, but something that many leading nations have never done before... appoint a person of color to lead their nation.

Am I against Clinton? Not entirely, but partially. She does represent everthing I dislike about Washington Politics as usual and I don't think her record of success outweighs her record of failure to follow through with promises made to the nation and later to New York. While putting her into a position of Vice President may realistically strip her of all power, I don't want her a heart beat away from seizing the most powerful position in the world.

Now it is your turn. I selected four easily identifiable candidates for a VP nomination: Strickland of Ohio, Ritter of Colorado, Sebelius of Kansas, and Richardson of New Mexico. As Governors, each brings executive leadership and management that no senator can honestly claim with the exeption of Obama who, as I note in an earlier blog, was the only senator among Clinton and McCain to exemplify extraordinary executive leadership by leading his multi-million dollar enterprise, Obama for America, to success. However, who do you think Obama should select? If it is Clinton, then please have better support than the emotional defenses I discount above.

McCain's Segregationist

Joe Garcia — Fri, 16 May 2008 12:42:51 EDT

Richard Quinn, a senior political aide to Senator John McCain is also the owner and editor-in -chief of the neo-confederate SOUTHERN PARTISAN REVIEW QUARTERLY. This association was brought to the attention of the Arizona Senator during the 2000 campaign. Mr. McCain received a letter from PAWs Ralph Neas based on information compiled by FAIR. The story also received the attention of the NYT, New Republic and other mainstream publications. The flap fizzled when McCain lost the South Carolina primary in a vicious campaign against President George W. Bush. Shortly thereafter Mr. McCain’s campaign collapsed.

And so it begins...

Saragon — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:42:29 EDT

Just joined my.barackobama.com last night, and despite being an IT guy in his early 20s, this is the first taste I've had of a social network. Thus far, it's been ... intriguing, I suppose.

I can't yet say that I'm enthusiastic about Barack Obama. I'm a progressive, and addicted to political blogs, but being born and raised as a progressive in South Carolina means that rather than trying to push for progressive candidates, I've had to spend my political life fighting against dangerously regressive state and local candidates. (I can respect an honest conservative - I'm engaged to one, in fact - but the disingenuous faux anti-liberalism common to local SC politics is grotesque.) So to see a network of people genuinely excited about a candidate is fascinating. With luck, and perhaps with South Carolina becoming engaged in presidential politics again, I'll pick up some of that.

SC Dems Tag Obama Supporter as Add-On Superdelegate

Deborah Simmel — Sun, 04 May 2008 17:40:41 EDT

Yesterday, I proudly attended my very first South Carolina Democratic Convention as an Obama delegate from Lexington County. What a long and loud and crowded and exhilirating day it was! The enthusiasm for our candidate was palpable. And some of the very best news of all to report is that we elected our wonderful former State Superintendent of Education, Inez Tenenbaum as the state's only Add-On delegate - our last "Superdelegate." Superdelegates are of course, "officially uncommitted," but Tenenbaum, a beloved and respected local figure, was one of Senator Obama's earliest declared political supporters.

Add one more to the count in our column!

Check out this wonderful story from a great convention:

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20080504/NEWS/805040354/0/news

Help Out Now !

Mrs. Linda J. Murdock — Thu, 01 May 2008 11:52:05 EDT

Hello, All,

On March 24th I became ill and have not been able to work at my job since then. This is also the reason why you haven't heard from me about holding meetings. I hope that someone else will come forward to pick up on this effort to pull the local groups together. I'm sincerely sorry that I cannot do much right now. But there is hope that I may be getting better and might be able to participate more later this Summer.

But right now, there is so much that each of us can do to help out.

Especially with the primary next week in North Carolina! Please take a minute to look at the opportunities to travel to North Carolina to help out, and/or pitch in to make phone calls.

We need to help finish up this Primary stuff and get on to the main campaign!! Wishing all of you the best!

Go Obama '08!
Linda Murdock

McCain Affects "Electability" Argument

Cindy — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:04:11 EDT

Well, John McCain has made it clear that he will be running a respectful, civil campaign and that nobody acting on his behalf should do nasty attack ads. Both he and the RNC have demanded that the South Carolina Republican Party not air its utterly dirty campaign ad.

Here's the punch line (no pun intended) - Hillary is claiming that she is the one who is electable because she can better take a punch and is tougher (read: can and will play really dirty). McCain's action today really undercuts her argument that the ability to play dirty is critical to "electability.

Yes, undercuts it completely.

Amazing.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/04/rnc-and-john-mc.html

Clinton Strategy Playing The Race Card!

Mark Ungemach (Democratic Committee Person, Franklin Township, Landenberg, PA) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 11:17:22 EDT

I don't think that we can comment on this. In fact, I think if we speak out about it, we will only help the Clinton effort. I do think, however, that we can share this article with our progressive friends who are pro-Hillary, or who are on the fence.

From: http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/3597/the_clinton_firewall/

The Clinton Firewall

The New York Senator’s last-ditch efforts to win the Democratic

nomination could rely on the “Race Chasm” and the trampling of

democracy.

By David Sirota

Google the phrase “Clinton firewall” and you will come up with an ever-lengthening list of scenarios that Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign has said will stop Barack Obama’s candidacy. The New Hampshire primary, said her campaign, would be the firewall to end Obamamania. Then Super Tuesday was supposed to be the firewall. Then Texas. Now Pennsylvania and Indiana.

The Wisdom of Barack Obama

""""Jeff C."""" — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:03:15 EDT

The state of being wise; possessing wisdom, is an incredibly abstract and elusive quality. It is also inordinately difficult to know whether or not someone has it. Even more difficult when you're looking for it in a political leader; someone that, in almost all cases, you don't know and have no shared personal experiences with which to make that judgment.

However, when I set out to find a candidate to support in the presidential primary, I placed wisdom, or at least making wise choices, at the top of my qualifications chart. After eight years of disasterous decisions, it seemed like a relative no-brainer that the ability to make wise choices would be at the top of the list.

The more important question, though, was how would I determine who had it? What would be the criteria with which I would judge the candidates?

All of this led to a relatively self-evident criteria; that is, I would look at what the candidates stated would happen concerning any given issue, look at what actually happened, and see who came the closest to getting it right.

Obviously, Sen. Obama was a strong contender on this front due to his stance against the Iraq War. His reservations and concerns, unfortunately, have been borne out in tragic consequences.

But maybe he was simply lucky on this issue? Perhaps it was a lucky guess?

But then I thought to myself: what about the letter that Sen. Obama sent in May 2007 to the chairman of the Fed warning of the impending housing crisis and the need to take immediate action before it exploded in all our faces?

Gee . . . seems as if he were right about that as well. Makes it a little bit harder to attribute to luck.

So, I went back and looked at a few of Sen. Obama's speeches. The speech he gave on January 26th on the night of the South Carolina primary again struck me for his ability to see exactly how difficult this process would be. That others would fight tooth and nail to ensure that the status quo remained intact. I've excerpted a relevant portion below. I hope you read it. Whatever it is that some people possess that gives them that certain something, Barack Obama has it in spades. Here's a protion of the speech:

"But if there's anything we've been reminded of since Iowa, it's that the kind of change we seek will not come easy. Partly because we have fine candidates in the field - fierce competitors, worthy of respect. And as contentious as this campaign may get, we have to remember that this is a contest for the Democratic nomination, and that all of us share an abiding desire to end the disastrous policies of the current administration.

But there are real differences between the candidates. We are looking for more than just a change of party in the White House. We're looking to fundamentally change the status quo in Washington - a status quo that extends beyond any particular party. And right now, that status quo is fighting back with everything it's got; with the same old tactics that divide and distract us from solving the problems people face, whether those problems are health care they can't afford or a mortgage they cannot pay.

So this will not be easy. Make no mistake about what we're up against.

We are up against the belief that it's ok for lobbyists to dominate our government - that they are just part of the system in Washington. But we know that the undue influence of lobbyists is part of the problem, and this election is our chance to say that we're not going to let them stand in our way anymore.

We are up against the conventional thinking that says your ability to lead as President comes from longevity in Washington or proximity to the White House. But we know that real leadership is about candor, and judgment, and the ability to rally Americans from all walks of life around a common purpose - a higher purpose.

We are up against decades of bitter partisanship that cause politicians to demonize their opponents instead of coming together to make college affordable or energy cleaner; it's the kind of partisanship where you're not even allowed to say that a Republican had an idea - even if it's one you never agreed with. That kind of politics is bad for our party, it's bad for our country, and this is our chance to end it once and for all.

We are up against the idea that it's acceptable to say anything and do anything to win an election. We know that this is exactly what's wrong with our politics; this is why people don't believe what their leaders say anymore; this is why they tune out. And this election is our chance to give the American people a reason to believe again."

Sounds about right to me.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day. Keep up the good work and, as always, take care.

Jeff Cronin

Clinton's Dirty Tricks Campaign - Reflections on South Carolina and Florida

Jedidiah Palosaari — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:20:50 EDT

Let's recap. Hillary accuses Obama of being in bed with a slumlord, and it turns out that he contributed to the Clintons as well. Bill falsely accuses Obama's unending non-support of the Iraq War as a fairy tale. Worst, he falsly claims that Obama brought race into the race (Presidential), something Obama would be incredibly stupid to do since the majority of Americans are white, and something Obama didn't do. But in a brilliant political move, the Clintons made the allegation, and it stuck (at least in the public), so immediately and forcefully Obama started rising in polls of African-Americans and dropping among Whites. This despite Obama's strong determination to run as the Democratic candidate, and not as the Black Candidate. By making the accusation of bringing race in, Clinton was actually able to bring race in. They probably realized that this would help Obama win South Carolina, but lose most states in the primaries. Then, today and yesterday, Hillary steps back and says we've gone too far, and lets start being more civil to each other.

There were a couple states recently who got no delegates, for they disobeyed DNC rules, which after all is the head of the Democratic organization. Hillary won Michigan because she was the only one on the ballot (but only by 55%)- a state with a large number of African-Americans, if we're going to bring race into it. A state that would have been great for Obama, next door to his home of Illinois, a place (Michigan) where some have heard of Obama even before he entered fame a couple years ago. But he and everyone else didn't campaign there, or in Florida, because the two states violated their party's rules, and the DNC, which all candidates need, asked the candidates not to campaign there.

Should Iowa and New Hampshire always get to go first? No. Should other states begin to go first too? Yes. Should Michigan and Florida's DNCs follow the national DNC? Yes. Should they suffer for not obeying HQ? Yes. Should the DNC have done something more like the RNC in stripping only half the delegates, and been more balanced in the punishment? Yes. But once the decision is made, it's made.

But, now, four days before the Florida primary, Hillary is stating that Florida's delegates get seated at the convention. Again, brilliant politically; disgusting ethically. She has violated her pledge to not campaign in Florida. She is clearly doing campaigning there. Stating that she is not physically in Florida when she makes this statement is a lie not worthy of the Internet Age. Now, with no time to campaign in Florida, Obama's campaign suffers, for Floridians will be enraptured by Hillary's commitment. Obama can't campaign there even if he had the time, because he also made a pledge, and he's an ethical candidate. And he is hamstrung in pointing all of this out because Clinton just seemingly extended an olive branch between the campaigns. Allegations on Obama's part makes him look the bad guy.

Consistently, polls show Clinton over everyone else in these Michigan and Florida, and almost every state, because she gets name recognition. Where Obama actually campaigns, he starts to win or come in a close second. By DNC rules, the candidate with the most delegates gets to decide who's seated. Doesn't matter if they have the magic number of 2025 delegates- if they have the majority, they get to decide who's seated. Of course, on name recognition and being the only one on the ballot (in Michigan), Clinton will get the lion's share of Florida and Michigan.

The DNC won't punish it's standard bearer (Bill) for his statements, or the possible nominee for her statements. So Obama loses delegates for Michigan and Florida, Hillary gets the bump from a symbolic win in both states, and then comes into the convention without the 2025 delegates but close to it- and insists on seating the delegates of both states, based on how they voted. Ironically, the citizens of both states are disenfranchised, for they didn't get to really know the candidates because there was no campaign there, and so only know Hillary from name recognition.

If Hillary wins this way, she loses my vote in the General.

----------------------------------------------------------

Update:

Hillary is now campaigning openly in Florida, visiting the state two days before the primary to do "private" fund raisers, and getting off the plane with palm trees in the background to tell the press that it's "great to be in Florida". At least she's now being honest in her lack of integrity.

Group / Meetings ?

Mrs. Linda J. Murdock — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 12:06:16 EST

Hello, Horry and Georgetown County, SC for Obama Group Members!

I started this group on the www.BarackObama.com website last April so that our area would have a presence on the internet for this campaign. Because I started the Group, I'm the "Administrator" by default, but I encourage anyone who wants to help out with organizing/energizing the group, to just let me know. We can have multiple "Administrators.

"We've had some members expressing a desire to hold actual "get togethers" and I like the idea. But this is a group and we need to communicate with each other to make such a thing happen. My career is in computer databases and I do websites. Also, I am somewhat active in the Horry County Democratic Party, which has been interesting. So, I'm happy to contribute those skills to help us organize.

We currently have 41 names on our list. It appears that some folks are not local, which is fine, but they probably won't attend local meetings. We can create events on the website if/when we are ready. So, I would suggest that folks could reply to me individually at linda@grandstrandorganics.com with just some basic information such as: Your town/locale; your level of interest in meetings; your suggested meeting place; your suggested frequency of meetings (such as monthly, weekly, other); and any other suggestions or comments you might have. If you want to protect the privacy of your email, just send your response to me through the www.BarackObama.com website.

Feel free to reply to the whole group if you like, or if you want to reply directly to me, that's OK, too. I will compile our info and send out the results in a few days.

Let's start getting ready. Together we can make a real difference this year, in our towns, our counties, our state, our country, and even our world. As Barack has said: "Yes, we can!"

Hello from Houston! Make calls for our Lowcountry Obama staffers from your home!

Nora Kravec — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 09:50:28 EST

Greetings, Lowcountry Obama for President volunteers --- the Lowcountry to Texas volunteer team is in Houston. It was great to be reunited with Obama staffers from the Charleston office, and we're working hard to win in Texas. The residents of Houston rolled out the red carpet for us, and we're having a great time!

You can make calls for our Lowcountry Obama team from your home! Help us win in Houston by adopting a Houston precinct. Go to www.texasprecinctcaptains.com and sign up as an out-of-state volunteer. Send me your name, and we'll assign you to a precinct where our Lowcountry staffers need help. When time permits I'll post news from the field and photos.

Please sign up today. Let's make history!

Whistle While You Work...

Julie Hensley — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 21:33:24 EST

I dunno who is scared but is SOMEONE ever scared... would you please look at this (ok, if you are depressed about something don't cause it's AMAZING how stupid it is) BUT if you can look at it and read it and watch it with one thing in mind.

What does someone have to be feeling to find this offensive?

Michelle Obama had an appearance today.. and stumbled. Yes folks, it's a fact. And the news media was on it! They can sniff out a story. This one is a stinker. I can only imagine the editor who said - Yea boys, we got our front page taken care of!-

So think about how desperate has to be to find something wrong with the picture of the Obamas in order to have an issue with this. Then you can only be gratified in the sense that this is the best they got??

And if any apology is due it is to South Carolina...but I think it would not come as a surprise to them that they have a very flowing, smooth accent that is inclined to causing one to make their vowels softer.

http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/01/18/michelle-obamas-faux-pas/#comment-28988

Yes We Can - Sí Se Puede

Matiax — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 02:21:57 EST

Here is the transcript of Sen. Barack Obama's "Yes We Can!" speech after he won the Democratic presidential primary in South Carolina and its translation into Spanish. Notes for Spanish speakers and links are posted at the bottom.

Esta es la transcripción del discurso "¡Si se puede!" del senador Barack Obama tras su victoria en las primarias presidenciales demócratas de Carolina del Sur junto a su traducción en español. Notas de la traducción y enlaces están disponibles al final del texto.

----------------------------

Over two weeks ago, we saw the people of Iowa proclaim that our time for change has come. But there were those who doubted this country’s desire for something new – who said Iowa was a fluke not to be repeated again.

Hace unas dos semanas vimos a las gentes de Iowa proclamar que nuestra hora de cambiar ha llegado. Pero hubo quienes dudaron del deseo de este país de conseguir algo nuevo; aquellos que dijeron que Iowa fue sólo un espejismo que no se volvería a repetir.

Well, tonight, the cynics who believed that what began in the snows of Iowa was just an illusion were told a different story by the good people of South Carolina.

Pues bien, esta noche, las buenas gentes de Carolina del Sur le han contado una historia muy diferente a los cínicos que creyeron que lo que empezó en la nieves de Iowa era sólo una ilusión.

After four great contests in every corner of this country, we have the most votes, the most delegates, and the most diverse coalition of Americans we’ve seen in a long, long time.

Después de cuatro grandes contiendas en cada esquina de este país tenemos la mayoría de los votos, la mayoría de delegados y la coalición más diversa de estadounidenses que hemos visto en mucho, mucho tiempo.

They are young and old; rich and poor. They are black and white; Latino, Asian and Indian American. They are Democrats from Des Moines and Independents from Concord; Republicans from rural Nevada and young people across this country who’ve never had a reason to participate until now. And in nine days, nearly half the nation will have the chance to join us in saying that we are tired of business-as-usual in Washington, we are hungry for change, and we are ready to believe again.

Son jóvenes y viejos; ricos y pobres. Son negros y blancos; latinos, asiáticos e indios americanos. Son demócratas de Des Moines e independientes de Concord; republicanos de la Nevada rural y gente joven de todo el país que nunca había tenido una razón para participar hasta ahora. Y en nueve días, cerca de la mitad de la nación tendrá la oportunidad de unirse a nosotros para decir que estamos cansados de la forma de negociar de Washington, que tenemos hambre de cambio y que estamos preparados para volver a creer.

But if there’s anything we’ve been reminded of since Iowa, it’s that the kind of change we seek will not come easy. Partly because we have fine candidates in the field – fierce competitors, worthy of respect. And as contentious as this campaign may get, we have to remember that this is a contest for the Democratic nomination, and that all of us share an abiding desire to end the disastrous policies of the current administration.

Pero si hay algo que se nos ha recordado desde lo de Iowa, es que el tipo de cambio que queremos no va a ocurrir fácilmente. En parte porque tenemos grandes candidatos en el terreno; fieros competidores que merecen respeto. Y por muy contenciosa que esta campaña se pueda poner, tenemos que acordarnos que esta es un carrera para conseguir la nominación demócrata, y que todos nosotros compartimos un deseo permanente de terminar con las desastrosas políticas de la administración actual.

But there are real differences between the candidates. We are looking for more than just a change of party in the White House. We’re looking to fundamentally change the status quo in Washington – a status quo that extends beyond any particular party. And right now, that status quo is fighting back with everything it’s got; with the same old tactics that divide and distract us from solving the problems people face, whether those problems are health care they can’t afford or a mortgage they cannot pay.

Pero existen diferencias reales entre los candidatos. Queremos algo más que un cambio de partido en la Casa Blanca. Queremos fundamentalmente cambiar la realidad de Washinton, una realidad que trasciende a cualquier partido en particular. Y ahora esa realidad está contraatacando con todo lo que tiene. Con las mismas viejas tácticas que nos dividen y distraen a la hora de resolver los problemas que las gentes tienen que afrontar, ya sean la cobertura sanitaria que no pueden costearse o la hipoteca que no pueden pagar.

So this will not be easy. Make no mistake about what we’re up against.

Así que esto no va a ser fácil. No subestimemos aquello a lo que nos estamos enfrentamos.

We are up against the belief that it’s ok for lobbyists to dominate our government – that they are just part of the system in Washington. But we know that the undue influence of lobbyists is part of the problem, and this election is our chance to say that we’re not going to let them stand in our way anymore.

Nos enfrentamos a la creencia de que es normal que grupos poderosos dominen a los que nos gobiernan, que estos grupos son parte del sistema en Washington. Pero sabemos que la indebida influencia de estos es parte del problema; y estas elecciones son nuestra oportunidad para decir que no vamos a dejar más que se pongan en medio de nuestro camino.

We are up against the conventional thinking that says your ability to lead as President comes from longevity in Washington or proximity to the White House. But we know that real leadership is about candor, and judgment, and the ability to rally Americans from all walks of life around a common purpose – a higher purpose.

Nos enfrentamos a la idea común de que tu habilidad para liderar como Presidente proviene de la longevidad en Washington o la proximidad a la Casa Blanca. Pero sabemos que el verdadero liderazgo es sinceridad, es buen juicio, y habilidad para convocar a todo tipo de estadounidenses alrededor de un mismo propósito; un propósito superior.

We are up against decades of bitter partisanship that cause politicians to demonize their opponents instead of coming together to make college affordable or energy cleaner; it’s the kind of partisanship where you’re not even allowed to say that a Republican had an idea – even if it’s one you never agreed with. That kind of politics is bad for our party, it’s bad for our country, and this is our chance to end it once and for all.

Nos enfrentamos a décadas de amargo partidismo que hacen que los políticos satanicen a sus oponentes en vez de unirse para hacer que las universidades sean mas accesibles económicamente o que la energía sea mas limpia; es el tipo de partidismo en el que ni siquiera se permite decir que un republicano ha tenido una idea, incluso una con la nunca estuviese de acuerdo. Ese tipo de política es mala para nuestro partido, es mala para nuestro país, y ahora llega nuestra oportunidad para para que esto termine de una vez y para siempre.

We are up against the idea that it’s acceptable to say anything and do anything to win an election. We know that this is exactly what’s wrong with our politics; this is why people don’t believe what their leaders say anymore; this is why they tune out. And this election is our chance to give the American people a reason to believe again.

Nos enfrentamos a la idea de que se puede decir lo que sea o hacer lo que sea para ganar unas elecciones. Sabemos que es precisamente esto lo que no funciona en nuestro sistema político, esta es la razón de que la gente no se crea más lo que dicen sus lideres; es por esto por lo que no sintonizan con el pueblo. Y estas elecciones son nuestra oportunidad para darle a los estadounidenses una razón para creer de nuevo.

And what we’ve seen in these last weeks is that we’re also up against forces that are not the fault of any one campaign, but feed the habits that prevent us from being who we want to be as a nation. It’s the politics that uses religion as a wedge, and patriotism as a bludgeon. A politics that tells us that we have to think, act, and even vote within the confines of the categories that supposedly define us. The assumption that young people are apathetic. The assumption that Republicans won’t cross over. The assumption that the wealthy care nothing for the poor, and that the poor don’t vote. The assumption that African-Americans can’t support the white candidate; whites can’t support the African-American candidate; blacks and Latinos can’t come together.

Y lo que también hemos visto en estas ultimas semanas es que nos enfrentamos a fuerzas ajenas a la campaña que alimentan los hábitos que nos impiden llegar ser ser lo que queremos como nación. Es el la política que utiliza la religión como muro separador y el patriotismo como maza. Una política que nos dice qué es lo que tenemos que pensar, cómo actuar, e incluso cómo votar en el marco de las categorías que supuestamente nos definen. La asunción de que los republicanos nunca votarían de otra forma. La asunción de que a los ricos no les importan nada los pobres, y que los pobres no votan. La asunción de que los afroamericanos no pueden apoyar a un candidato blanco, que los blancos no pueden apoyar a un afroamericano; que los negros y los latinos no pueden aunar fuerzas.

But we are here tonight to say that this is not the America we believe in. I did not travel around this state over the last year and see a white South Carolina or a black South Carolina. I saw South Carolina. I saw crumbling schools that are stealing the future of black children and white children. I saw shuttered mills and homes for sale that once belonged to Americans from all walks of life, and men and women of every color and creed who serve together, and fight together, and bleed together under the same proud flag. I saw what America is, and I believe in what this country can be.

Pero aquí estamos esta noche para decir que estos no son los Estados Unidos en los que creemos. Yo no he viajado por este estado durante el año pasado para ver una Carolina del Sur blanca o negra. Yo vine a ver Carolina del Sur. Vi escuelas ruinosas que están robándole el futuro a niños negros y blancos. Vi talleres cerrados y casas en venta que una vez pertenecieron a gentes de todo tipo y hombres y mujeres de cualquier color o credo que sirvieron juntos, que combatieron juntos y sangraron juntos bajo la misma bandera. Vi en lo que se ha convertido este país, y creo en lo que esta nación puede llegar a ser.

That is the country I see. That is the country you see. But now it is up to us to help the entire nation embrace this vision. Because in the end, we are not just up against the ingrained and destructive habits of Washington, we are also struggling against our own doubts, our own fears, and our own cynicism. The change we seek has always required great struggle and sacrifice. And so this is a battle in our own hearts and minds about what kind of country we want and how hard we’re willing to work for it.

Ese es el país que veo, ese es el país que veis. Pero ahora depende de nosotros el ayudar a la nación entera para que abrace esta visión. Porque al final, no sólo nos estamos enfrentando con los arraigados y destructivos hábitos de Washington sino también con nuestras propias dudas, nuestros miedos y nuestro cinismo. El cambio que buscamos siempre ha requerido gran lucha y sacrificio. Y así pues es esta una batalla en nuestros corazones y mentes sobre qué tipo de país queremos y cuánto estamos dispuestos a trabajar duro para conseguirlo.

So let me remind you tonight that change will not be easy. That change will take time. There will be setbacks, and false starts, and sometimes we will make mistakes. But as hard as it may seem, we cannot lose hope. Because there are people all across this great nation who are counting us; who can’t afford another four years without health care or good schools or decent wages because our leaders couldn’t come together and get it done.

Así que dejad que os recuerde esta noche que el cambio no sera fácil. Ese cambio necesita tiempo. Habrá contratiempos, falsos comienzos y a veces cometeremos errores. Pero tan difícil como pueda verse, no podemos perder la esperanza. Porque hay gentes a lo largo y ancho de esta gran nación que están contando con nosotros, que no se pueden permitir cuatro años mas sin seguro médico, buenas escuelas o salarios decentes porque nuestros lideres no se reunieron para conseguirlo.

Theirs are the stories and voices we carry on from South Carolina.

Estas son las historias y las voces de Carolina del Sur que nosotros asumimos.

The mother who can’t get Medicaid to cover all the needs of her sick child – she needs us to pass a health care plan that cuts costs and makes health care available and affordable for every single American.

La madre que no puede conseguir asistencia médica para cubrir las necesidades de su niño enfermo; ella nos necesita para que se apruebe un plan sanitario que reduzca los costes y haga que la cobertura médica sea accesible para todos lo estadounidenses.

The teacher who works another shift at Dunkin Donuts after school just to make ends meet – she needs us to reform our education system so that she gets better pay, and more support, and her students get the resources they need to achieve their dreams.

La maestra que tiene que trabajar de noche en una tienda de "Dunkin Donuts" después de la escuela para llegar a fin de mes; nos necesita para que reformemos nuestro sistema educativo para que pueda recibir un mejor salario, más apoyo, y para que sus alumnos reciban los recursos que necesitan para hacer realidad sus sueños.

The Maytag worker who is now competing with his own teenager for a $7-an-hour job at Wal-Mart because the factory he gave his life to shut its doors – he needs us to stop giving tax breaks to companies that ship our jobs overseas and start putting them in the pockets of working Americans who deserve it. And struggling homeowners that are having a tough time. And seniors who should retire with diñity and respect.

El trabajador de "Maytag" que tiene que competir con su hijo adolescente por un trabajo de $7 dolares a la hora en "Wal-Mart" porque la empresa a la que dedicó su vida tiene ahora que cerrar sus puertas; nos necesita para que paremos de darle beneficios fiscales las compañías que trasladan los empleos fuera del país.

The woman who told me that she hasn’t been able to breathe since the day her nephew left for Iraq, or the soldier who doesn’t know his child because he’s on his third or fourth tour of duty – they need us to come together and put an end to a war that should’ve never been authorized and never been waged.

La mujer que me dijo que no ha sido capaz de vivir desde el día en que su sobrino se fue para Irak, o el soldado que no conoce a su hijo porque está allí por tercera o cuarta vez; nos necesitan para que nos pongamos de acuerdo para parar una guerra que nunca se debió autorizar ni proseguir.

The choice in this election is not between regions or religions or genders. It’s not about rich versus poor; young versus old; and it is not about black versus white.

La opción en estas elecciones no es entre regiones, religiones ni entre hombre o mujer. No es sobre ricos contra pobres, jóvenes contra viejos; y no es sobre negros contra blancos.

It’s about the past versus the future.

Es sobre el pasado contra el futuro.

It’s about whether we settle for the same divisions and distractions and drama that passes for politics today, or whether we reach for a politics of common sense, and innovation – a shared sacrifice and shared prosperity.

Es sobre si nos conformamos con las mismas divisiones y drama que afectan a la política de hoy en día, o si alcanzamos políticas de sentido común e innovación; un sacrificio y una prosperidad compartida.

There are those who will continue to tell us we cannot do this. That we cannot have what we long for. That we are peddling false hopes.

Están aquellos que continuaran diciéndonos que no podemos realizar esto. Que no podemos conseguir lo que queremos. Que estamos vendiendo falsas ilusiones.

But here’s what I know. I know that when people say we can’t overcome all the big money and influence in Washington, I think of the elderly woman who sent me a contribution the other day – an envelope that had a money order for $3.01 along with a verse of scripture tucked inside. So don’t tell us change isn’t possible. That woman knows change is possible

Pero esto es lo que sé. Sé que cuando la gente dice que no podemos superar todo el capital y las influencias en Washington, yo pienso en la señora mayor que me envió una donación el otro día; un sobre con un cheque de $3,01 junto con un verso de las escrituras plegado dentro. Así que no nos digan que el cambio no es posible. Esa señora sabe que el cambio es posible.

When I hear the cynical talk that blacks and whites and Latinos can’t join together and work together, I’m reminded of the Latino brothers and sisters I organized with, and stood with, and fought with side by side for jobs and justice on the streets of Chicago. So don’t tell us change can’t happen.

Cuando escucho el cínico hablar de que los negros, blancos y latinos no pueden reunirse y trabajar juntos, me acuerdo de los hermanos y hermanas latinos con los que estuve organizando, resistiendo y luchando mano a mano para conseguir empleos y justicia en las calles de Chicago. Así que no nos digan que el cambio no puede ocurrir.

When I hear that we’ll never overcome the racial divide in our politics, I think about that Republican woman who used to work for Strom Thurmond, who’s now devoted to educating inner-city children and who went out onto the streets of South Carolina and knocked on doors for this campaiñ. Don’t tell me we can’t change.

Cuando escucho que nunca podremos superar la división racial en nuestra política, pienso en la mujer republicana que trabajaba para Strom Thurmond, que se dedica ahora a educar a chicos y chicas de barrios marginales y que se fue a las calles de Carolina del Sur y estuvo llamando puerta a puerta en esta campaña. Que no me digan que no podemos cambiar.

Yes we can. Yes we can change.

Sí se puede. Sí podemos cambiar.

Yes we can heal this nation.

Sí se puede curar a esta nación.

Yes we can seize our future.

Sí podemos apoderarnos de nuestro futuro.

And as we leave this great state, with a new wind at our backs, and take this journey across the country we love with the message we’ve carried from the plains of Iowa to the hills of New Hampshire; from the Nevada desert to the South Carolina coast; the same message we had when we were up and when we were down – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we will hope; and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people in three simple words:

Y ahora dejamos este gran estado, empujados por un nuevo viento, y retomamos el camino a través de este país al que amamos con el mensaje que hemos llevado desde los llanos de Iowa a las colinas de New Hampshire, del desierto de Nevada a la costa de Carolina del Sur; el mismo mensaje que teníamos en los buenos y en los malos momentos. Que aun siendo muchos, somos uno, que mientras respiremos, tendremos esperanza, y que donde nos encontremos con el cinismo y la duda y con aquellos que nos dicen que no se puede, responderemos con ese símbolo eterno que expresa el espíritu de un pueblo en tres sencillas palabras:

Yes. We. Can.

Sí. Se. Puede.

Translation/Traducción: Matías M. Trejo De Dios

For comments or revisions to the translation
Para hacer comentarios o revisiones de la traducción
Email: contacto@matiax.com

Translation Notes for Spanish speakers.

Notas:

1.- Esta es una traducción modulada y metafrástica que intenta facilitar la compresión del lector utilizando recursos como la transposición o la equivalencia.

2.- Se ha preferido, simplificar la traducción y concatenar el texto original en inglés para invitar al lector a hacer su propio análisis.

3.- La visualización del discurso http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8mG5qfDXL4 junto a esta traducción debería proporcionar una idea exacta de la dimensión del discurso y sobre la figura del Sen. Barack Obama

4.- El título del discurso "Yes We Can" queda traducido como "Sí se puede" por afinidad con el lema de César Chávez y la "United Farm Workers of America" en 1972.

Links/Enlaces:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maytag
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wal-Mart
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Wal-Mart
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkin%27_Donuts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strom_Thurmond

Edwards to Endorse Obama?

Alexander — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 03:59:32 EST

Edwards and Obama are very similar in statue. Edwards moves crowds as well as Obama. These two gentlemen deserve to be on the same ticket together. Bringing about the change this country really needs.

Edwards as well as Obama have sincerity
about their campaigns, thus making them the better choices for President and Vice President.

There is no doubt that the person who becomes vice president will later go on to be president. Therefore, for the democrats we need a nominee who will win against McCain in the election of 08.

A letter I wrote to my friends

Jennifer from Santa Barbara, CA — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 02:49:25 EST

This is a letter I wrote to some of my friends the eve of super tues.:

Dear Friends,

First let me say I am sorry for crowding your inboxes. But for the first time ever, I am really excited about a presidential candidate. So I am compelled to tell you a bit about why I am voting for Barack Obama tomorrow. I have a feeling that I am preaching to the choir in some instances, but perhaps some of you are still on the fence. Clearly you are all intelligent people, capable of making up your own minds, but for what it is worth...

He was, of course, against the Iraq war from the beginning, which I think demonstrates better judgment on his part. Hillary voted to authorize the war. But aside from this major point, with so little difference between the two candidates on domestic issues, I think it's OK to go with our "guts" on this one. I believe the following narrative does a pretty good job of summing up what my gut is telling me:

My parents are conservative Republicans-- my mother somewhat less so, my father somewhat more so. I am not. Politics is typically a very divisive issue in my family.

I went to visit my parents in l.a. the other weekend when Obama won in South Carolina and something very interesting happened. We all watched his victory speech together. And then it happened. I looked around and everyone had big emotional smiles on their faces. My father was so moved, he even became a bit teary. My father moved by a Democrat, impossible! If you know my dad then you know this is a minor miracle. My mother said he was touched by the hand of God. My Independent leaning sister and I held hands. We basked in the glow of Obama, and for a little while, we were unified. Amazing.

The exact opposite happened with Hillary. My parents became tense when they saw her and started yelling at the TV. This is typical. My parents are not really excited about any of the Republican candidates, but they can't wait to vote against her. Whether or not it's justified (probably not), she turns them into Republican activists.

Personally, I want the kind of America that I found in my parents' living room during the Obama speech- one where we can all come together, Democrats and Republicans and support a brilliant, inspiring, and thoughtful leader. I think Obama has the rare ability to create an empowered progressive majority in this country. We need this.

Somewhere along the line, we have forgotten that leaders like this can exist. We have become cynical, all the while taking comfort in the humor of The Daily Show and Colbert Report (still love these shows of course). We have difficulty talking about politics without irony. It seems uncool to be in any way earnest.

It is without a trace of irony that I earnestly say to you, yes we can!

Perhaps all of this seems idealistic to some, but it has happened before, and it can happen again. This is what JFK did as president and this is what Barack Obama can do now.

Thanks for reading,
Jen Brundidge

Video: What Victory in South Carolina Looked Like

Kate Albright-Hanna — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 18:34:36 EST

A little over a week ago, we won South Carolina because grassroots supporters took the campaign into their own hands and convinced their friends and neighbors that their votes counted. Two hours before the polls closed that night, we caught up with students at Benedict College as they made a final push to convince their classmates to vote. Here's their story:

It was a dramatic ending to the story of Joshua Stroman, who has been critical to building the movement on his campus for Barack:

As Josh's Obama group heads down to Georgia to help get out the vote there tomorrow, it's overwhelming to think that their energy and commitment will be echoed in states across America - by moms and dads, teachers and truck drivers, first-time voters and former Republicans.

Everyone has a story, and all the stories lead to the same conclusion, as Barack said in his South Carolina victory speech: "That out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope; and where we are met with cynicism and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people in three simple words: Yes. We. Can."

To inspire you for the final 24 hours.....

Manda — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 13:01:26 EST

Cross posted on my Myspace page:

I know I woke up yesterday excited about the rally in California even though I'm in DC (I watched it on c-span 3 times!) and then logged on to the major news networks and to tv to see Barack making up considerable distance in the polls. I was overjoyed! Then when Maria Shriver walked out, there are no words. There were tears but no words. I started calling everyone to make sure they knew what was happening. It was another one of those moments in this campaign that just brought it home.

So as we are all looking forward to Tuesday and we are anxious, excited, scared and every other emotion in between, I want us all to stay Fired Up! Make the calls, talk to our friends, family and neighbors and don't ever give up hope. A quick story to share. I was volunteering in South Carolina. I have a bum ankle so I volunteered to drive people to the polls and volunteers to canvas. It was about 45 minutes before the polls were going to close and I had three college girls about 18 or 19 years old who were out knocking on doors. On their list of houses was one marked vacant. They decided to knock anyway and at least leave a door hanger about Barack.

The Black Question

DoctorTodd — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:47:50 EST

I am not naïve. I understand that race still matters in America, though certainly less than even a generation ago. I know that some Americans still vote along racial lines, just as they vote along gender lines. But just as men are more likely to vote for female candidates now than twenty years ago, and just as Protestants are more likely to vote for Catholics now than forty years ago, Americans have matured on racial matters.

In addition to being the candidate most likely to lure people to the polls who don’t typically vote, particularly the young, I suspect Obama will lure black voters who, if presented with the prospect of electing the first black president, will turn out in record numbers.

And yet Obama is a black man who does not run as a black candidate. He never dwells on racial issues. When he mentions emancipation and civil rights, it is alongside women’s rights, and worker’s rights. He does not need to speak about black-white reconciliation, because he embodies it.

The great unanswered question is whether he can lure middle-aged and older whites to the polls. Will whites, when push comes to shove, vote for a black man? Iowans and South Carolinians did – they saw the person and not the color. By becoming colorblind, they wrote themselves into history by putting aside whatever racial fears they had. While I do not know the answer to the question of whether the entire nation can become colorblind, I believe it’s time America finds out.

Trip to South Carolina and Washington, D.C. (first post)

Jeremy — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 13:10:27 EST

I recently took a trip to South Carolina with my family to campaign for Barack Obama. I am 13 years old. It was very fun and exciting, especially when he won S.C. in a landslide victory over Hillary. This is basically what I did over the trip. Enjoy!

THURSDAY: I wasn't feeling very well today, but I did my best to help pack my stuff and take care of my baby brother. Today wasn't very exciting; we just packed and then left for Richmond, Virginia. We were stopping there because the trip was too long to make in one day.

FRIDAY: Today was definitely more exciting than yesterday. We left Richmond for Columbia, South Carolina, and we got a flat tire that delayed us. We got there around 10:00 PM, and once we got settled in we went to an Obama rally. It was very exciting, and hearing him speak firsthand was very inspiring. He spoke about how Washington has been doing the same thing for a while, and it's time to change Washington for the better.

SATURDAY: Today was amazing. We woke up, and my mom saw that the TV show, Morning Joe, was being filmed at a nearby diner called the Lizard's Thicket. Morning Joe is a show on MSNBC where Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, and Willie Geist talk about current events, especially politics. Joe Scarborough is a former Republican member of the House of Representatives from Florida. Unfortunately, he had to leave to catch a plane before we got there. When we arrived, we got to watch Mika Brzezinski and David Shuster talk a bit, and then go for commercial. Then, Mika asked if anybody had a really cute baby around. My baby brother Henry was there, so we gave him to Mika. He was asleep, but he got to be on TV! We were also on TV, but just to the side of Mika. It was really fun, and then we got to meet a woman who was the editor of a widely circulated Democratic newspaper. Later that day, since it was the final voting day, we went to the Obama headquarters in Columbia and asked what we could do to help out. We were assigned with the task of holding up signs and giving out food to keep people on line to vote. We went out to the polling place, and we met three guys who were being paid to hold up John Edwards signs even though they didn't support him. We gave them the food, because they had been standing there since 7:00 AM and it was now 6:00 PM. We held up our Barack Obama signs for an hour until the polls closed, and then we went back to the hotel where we found out that he had won with 55.4% of the vote. Also, the Clintons were staying at the hotel, and my mom and dad saw Chelsea Clinton in the lobby. Barack was staying at a place across the street. It was great.

SUNDAY: Today wasn't nearly as exciting as yesterday, because there wasn't anything to do in South Carolina. We then decided to spend a few days in Washington, D.C. There was more stuff to do there, and it would give me a taste of what D.C. was like before I went there with the 8th grade in May. We drove up to D.C., and when we got there at 2:30 AM, I completely crashed.

MONDAY: Today was our first day in D.C., and we drove around and saw the Washington Monument, the Capitol Building, and we got to see the White House as well, but from a distance. We also saw the building where Dick Cheney works, but it had caught on fire a few days before.

TUESDAY: Today we really got to experience Washington D.C. We went out to take a tour of the Capitol Building. When we got there, we saw Dick Cheney's motorcade, which was really cool. We didn't get to actually see him, though. We then went inside, and went up to Barack Obama's office to meet our tour guide. His name was Nick. First, we got to go into Obama's office, which was very exciting. He had many pictures of him and his family, along with pictures of him with Nelson Mandela and a picture of Martin Luther King, Jr. He also had signed Muhammed Ali boxing gloves, and a "Rock the Vote!" Gibson Les Paul Guitar. Another tour guide named Riley then joined us. We then left his office and went below the Capitol, where senators would walk by. We first checked our bags, then we went to the underground train which would transport the senators. On our way there, we saw Chris Dodd. We rode the train, which went surprisingly fast. We viewed the inside of the building, which was decorated with lots of artwork. After looking at all of the art, we went into a large room with a scale model of the grounds of the Capitol Building, and at the center of this room was a spot that was the very center of Washington D.C. Then, we saw the coat hooks where the original Supreme Court Justices hung their coats. We then made our way to the Rotunda, and it was spectacular. There was a beautiful painting on the ceiling and eight paintings around the room. There were also numerous statues. After taking many pictures, we went to the National Statutory Hall where there were more statues donated by all of the different states of people notable in that state's history. You could also locate the desks of former Representatives by looking for gold tiles. At the desk of John Quincy Adams, you could hear somebody whispering at the other side of the room due to the echo. After this, it was time to make our way back to the office. When we were about to get on the train, though, we saw another very famous senator: John Kerry. He was in quite a hurry, but he still turned to wave and smile at us before he boarded the train. Once we had gotten all of our things, we left the building and went back to the hotel.

WEDNESDAY: Today, we started to pack to leave Washington D.C. After we packed, though, we went to the gift shop for the International Spy Museum, where I got a T-shirt and a KGB license plate. I thought they were both really great souvenirs. We then started our journey back home.

Article on Barack's "organisation" in The Economist

EDB — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 15:57:58 EST

While I was in South Carolina I was intereviewed by a correspondent from The Economist magazine. The article can be found here:

http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10608791

Daniel Davis at SC Rally

Ray Arnold — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 14:48:35 EST

Here is a really amazing video I shot at the 1/25 Stand for Change Rally in Columbia, South Carolina:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY5VMxSVISs

The Florida "Win"

Gordon — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:21:11 EST

First off, the general website www.barackobama.com lead off tonight with a classy tribute to John & Elizabeth Edwards.

Now, on to Hillary.

The other night, after she got thumped in the South Carolina primary, Hillary showed up in Tennessee. She’d fled there much earlier as it was clear she was losing South Carolina. In Tennessee, she made a brief remark congratulating Barack, then pretended like South Carolina wasn’t even part of the United States.

Last night, however, was a stark contrast. Hillary went on national TV – specifically, CNN - from Davies, Florida.

This was Florida, where both she and Barack pledged not to campaign, because the national Democratic party had stripped Florida of its delegates due to state violations of party rules.

But only Barack kept his pledge.

Hillary said she wasn’t “campaigning” in Florida. Much like the meaning of “is,” I guess that depends on your definition of the word “campaigning.” But even if one were to agree with her that she wasn’t campaigning, there’s no dispute she was fundraising. And as one caller to Air America’s Randi Rhodes show put it (to paraphrase): Oh, she wants my money, but she won’t campaign for it?

As another Rhodes caller (or maybe it was the same one) put it: I’m not against Hillary. But every time she does something like this, she takes a piece of my respect for her away.

The worst part was how she gloated about “winning” Florida yesterday. See this story from USAToday.com: http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-01-29-Democrats_N.htm - in particular, these parts:

Clinton lauds Florida [headline]…Clinton declared the Florida result a welcome victory. The New York senator, fresh from a lopsided loss to Obama in last weekend's South Carolina primary, arranged a rally in the state as the polls were closing, an attempt to gain campaign momentum…. "I am convinced that with this resounding vote… we will send a clear message that America is back…" she said.

I'm not going to say Clinton is cheating, but, again: every time she pulls this stuff, I have less and less respect for her.

SC Wrap-Up: A Tale of Poverty and Hope

Mark Wiznitzer — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:36:23 EST

Poverty is Not Just a Campaign Slogan

Having traveled in the Middle East and South Asia, and lived and worked in Latin America and the Caribbean, I have seen poverty. But I was entirely unprepared to find poverty as widespread as it is today, in January 2008, in South Carolina. Over the past several months I knocked on doors of ragged trailer parks in Iowa and run-down parts of towns in New Hampshire. However, what I encountered in SC was different in scope and nature. In Berkley County, the place where I campaigned for Barack Obama, I saw the economic and social face of poverty. I also witnessed the psychology of hoplessness of those for whom the American Dream faded long ago. Forty years after the War on Poverty, we are far from victory. My week in SC moved me deeply and I am still processing what I saw. But I can testify that poverty in America is a problem for which finding solutions should be a top priority.

The Landslide Victory

We all know how it turned out, the final match of the four-round early states. An overwhelming victory for Barack Obama. According to plan, as projected by the Chicago HQ staff at the four-day June 4 Camp Obama last summer (my five-part description of why I went and some of what I learned starts here). Reflecting their experience and expertise, the campaign's pros pursued an early-states strategy designed to get Obama known and build momentum for his candidacy. I won't dwell here on the wisdom of the strategy, which is apparent in its results. And I won't spend time on the methodology, which I've persistently promoted, or the community organization-based approach that I described in detail in my blogs over the past eight months. But I do want to give you a feel for the power of an all-volunteer army of supporters promoting hope and delivering change.

O, Yes We Can!

Henrik Brameus — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:12:10 EST

Saturday was electric. When the first district came in just after closing I had to take a deep breath. Barack Obama 70%, Hillary Clinton 15% and John Edwards an almost insignificant 3rd. I knoew this had to good to be true, and I was bracing myself for the Hillary comeback, that the devastatingly effective Clinton political machine would do what they did so well in New Hampshire, and really flatten Barack Obama's chances for the nomination.

It was clear that Barack would win, but if it was a narrow win it might look like a triumph for the Clinton team. And what if Edwards had managed to siphon off enough to get it to a tight three-way tie? Wouldn't that be a story?

As the night went on Clinton'snumbers kept on rising, slowly but surely, and so did Edwards'. But in the end, a complete win. 2 Obama votes for every Clinton vote. The most definitive win so far this campaign, unless you count Michigan, of course, which some people do.

And then the speech. The victory speech. Was that a sweet and inspirational message! I cherished every bit of it and felt that here was the man I felt I could believe in from the very start, and I could believe in his campaign again. There are such things as impossible odds, but that's when you have to be audatious and do what you believe in. And do I believe!

Chris Matthews of MSNBC made a funny analogy recently. He drwew parallels to the movie Amadeus, where Salieri is a very competent composer that does things the way they should be done and had been done for a long time. Along comes Mozart, a young inexperienced man that through his genious manages to create something ethereal that touches everybodys hearts and imaginations. And you know who would be whom in this DNC presidential nominations race.

In the Trenches, Primary Day, South Carolina

Jeff Joslin — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 19:08:05 EST

We were in a neighborhood knocking on doors and asking people to go to the polls at 6:40 PM. One of our last houses was a re-visit to a house we had tried to call on earlier. On our second visit the woman we were looking for told us she had voted for Barack. I thanked her and turned to leave. Her daughter called out after me, “If you are 17 and have a voter registration card, can you vote?” I immediately called HQ and got to tell her that yes, she could vote. I can only imagine her telling her kids years from now that her first vote, was a primary vote for the next President of the United States, Barack Obama.

Without speaking our strategy, Lou and I had decided to talk about the election and Obama to every person we met on the street in this neighborhood. Parking the car at our first stop led to our initial opportunity to help. A couple was returning from the polling place. She had not been permitted to vote because her voter registration was missing from the roles. Assuring us she had registered and voted in the past, we did our best to encourage her to return, request a provisional ballot and preserve her right to be heard in this election. We later found out her discouragement had prevailed. She did not vote. Her friend had moved to this area recently and was told he had to return to his last polling spot across to town. Lou quickly called to arrange a ride (he had no phone at home). He assured us that he would be walking…ride or no ride, he would be voting today! He made the walk across town. I still get misty eyed thinking about his determination to vote for Barack Obama in this election.

The faces and stories are ingrained in our experience of this campaign. The statistics measure results. Cottonwood broke the record voter turnout by 250%! It was not just us; we were supported by earlier canvassers, phone calls and most prominently by the hope offered by a man who has inspired us, this neighborhood and the vast majority of South Carolina voters. Thank you South Carolina for adding to our treasure chest of memories on the campaign trail.

South Carolina 1860, South Carolina 2008

Leslye J Allen of Atlanta, GA — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 20:53:02 EST

On December 20, 1860, less than a month after Abraham Lincoln had been elected president, the South Carolina legislature voted to secede from the Union. That decision was unanimous! The idea that Lincoln, a man known for his anti-slavery sentiments, had been elected president was enough. This was South Carolina’s pre-emptive policy! The South Carolina legislature would not wait to see what the newly elected President Lincoln would do. They would simply assume that by his election, the interests of South Carolina and the entire South would not be served.

Over the course of the next six months, southern states would deliberate and most would eventually come to join South Carolina in that unprecedented act of secession. In a blink, this nation was plunged into a Civil War. All former slaves of partial and total African descent would wonder what would be their fate. They would have to wait five years to find out if freedom really was real. And then their descendants would have to wait nearly one hundred years before this nation would—–at least by law––recognize their voting and citizenship rights. Change is not a slogan folks; it is perpetual motion that has no end.

On January 26, 2008—nearly 148 years after South Carolina seceded from the Union, and over 40 years since the Civil Rights legislation of the 1960s was passed—a multi-racial, multi-classed, multi-aged, multi-faith coalition of South Carolina Democrats overwhelmingly supported Barack Obama, a man of African descent, for Democratic presidential nominee.

Change, reformation, rebuilding, redemption, and renewal are as old as America itself. We the people are the only ones sanctioned to set the timetable!

YES WE CAN!! http://www.youtube.com/WeCan08

The SC Primary - My First Canvass

David Carroll — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:42:42 EST

I'm Dave Carroll, a 31 year old software developer from Atlanta, GA. On Saturday, January 26, I was part of Atlanta's Get Out The Vote in South Carolina for Barack Obama.

I did this for my unborn child, my daughter. I want her to be proud of her country. It was the first political volunteering of my life, but it won't be the last.

If you've never canvassed or volunteered, maybe this will give you a notion of what it's like.

12:15 AM - After long MARTA delays, I finally pick up the van I'll be driving. Hard to believe I volunteered for this almost on a whim. Home for a little sleep.

5:30 AM - Up and at'em! I pick up a friend and head to the meeting site.

7:15 AM - After much wrangling, the van is full with 12 awesome human beings and we hit the road for Orangeburg, South Carolina. There are nine full vans in this caravan. We are number 3.

9:30 AM - At a pit stop, I get a good look at our Rainbow Coalition: 1 black man, 3 white women, 3 white men, and 5 black women. Our oldest are in their late 50's perhaps, our youngest are a pair of 16 year old high school girls.

12:00 PM - We arrive in Orangeburg, it seems small to us. (We haven't seen small yet.) But the regional Obama headquarters is packed!

12:10 PM - Back on the road. They need us in Norway, SC. Population: 380.

12:45 PM - Norway turns out to be a mini-headquarters for the surrounding towns. We are the bulk of the afternoon shift. I am eating an amazing pumpkin cookie topped with whipped cream.

1:00 PM - Canvassing Training led by Tushar from New York City. The two other full-time volunteers here are women from NYC and New Hampshire. They all put their lives on hold 2 weeks ago and have been working in this quiet rural corner since then.

1:05 PM - We learn that on election day, we are not changing anyone's mind. We are simply knocking on every door we already know supports our candidate.

1:20 PM - Our team splits up. My group of 5 hits the south side of a town called North. We split into two groups and start walking.

1:25 PM - The roads are all dirt. The houses are small. There are chickens in a backyard coop. Disrepair is the norm.

1:30 PM - A woman hugs me when I tell her nine vans came from Atlanta. Thanks to our reminder, she heads to the polls with a ride from her brother.

1:40 PM - Most people have already voted. This is a good sign. We get to say "thank you" a lot.

1:50 PM - Two older Caucasian gentlemen in a pick-up truck pass Caroline and Imam and ask them if they support Hillary. My teammates just wave their Obama poster and tell them to rethink their choice. The pick-up riders are surprisingly pleasant.

2:15 PM - For the first time in my life I can feel, in my bones, that every single vote matters. Seriously.

3:45 PM - Our team has finished canvassing our turf in North. Back to Norway for a quick break and reassignment.

4:10 PM - The same family from Norway which made those cookies has prepared an enormous spread of sandwiches, soups, and sides. I eat too much.

4:45 PM - With a re-formed team, we go to the outskirts of Springfield, SC (every state has one, right?). This time I'm playing in-between driver for 3 teams of 2.

5:15 PM - I start dropping people off. Less than two hours until the polls close.

5:45 PM - On a tiny dirt track surrounded by trailer homes, two kids excitedly chase our van with its prominent sign, yelling "OBAMA OBAMA", as though the man himself were inside. Later we learn that the canvassers we dropped off will recruit these guys to help them find houses and people to talk to.

6:00 PM - A young mother wearing a head scarf in a field of 5 trailer homes holds her baby and looks at me like I dropped out of the sky. She hasn't voted, and I honestly have no idea if she will, but I tell her there's still time and confirm she has a way to get into town.

6:45 PM - I round everyone up, including two women who were starting to freak each other out a bit in the rural gloom.

6:59 PM - Everyone is back at Norway, nibbling on food and chatting. I predict we'll hear results within one hour. Others are unwilling to be so optimistic.

7:01 PM - The volunteer from New Hampshire gets off her cell phone and gets our attention. Obama has been declared the winner before a single official vote is counted. The exit polls must be overwhelming.

7:02 PM - Ten minutes of joyous pandemonium in a modest church meeting room on a quiet country road outside a town with fewer residents than my condominium complex. But we know: We Did It. This is our victory.

7:20 PM - Glancing nervously at the clock, we bid our all-too-hasty good byes to the Norway team and the twelve of us head for Atlanta.

8:00 PM - South Carolina Public Radio finally starts covering the election results on the radio. We are eating it up. Obama is winning with almost twice the votes as Hillary. AP calls it a "rout".

8:48 PM - I fill up the van and the cashier high-fives me when she sees my button, saying "the troops are going to come back from Iraq now!".

8:58 PM - At a Starbucks in Augusta, the barista buys my coffee for me. He canvassed and voted today, too.

9:00 PM - For the twenty minutes of Barack's victory speech, I seriously endanger the lives of twelve people. It's hard to drive with tears in the eyes.

10:30 PM - We get into a scary but important conversation about gay marriage. There are serious differences of religious opinion, but we realize we all agree on the same governmental policy - a civil union should be possible for any two people. Leave the rest to the churches.

11:00 PM - Home at last. We've talked the entire way. We are wiped out, but we changed the world.

SC Win and Kennedy Endorsement

Joel Heflin — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 17:35:50 EST

I'm so excited after the blowout in South Carolina and now the huge endorsement from several members of the Kennedy family. I hope we'll see more important endorsements leading up to Super Tuesday. I emailed out the transcript from Barack's victory speech to a lot of my friends and I have received some great feedback. Several people even liked the speech so much they decided to pass it on to all their friends! I hope everyone will take a few minutes and pass a long some of Obama's encouraging words to a few friends. Believe it or not, our friends will listen to us much more than CNN or Fox News.

SC Diary: SHOW HOPE DAY on Monday, Feb. 5

Mark Wiznitzer — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:21:22 EST

What a Difference a Landslide Makes

I am happy to admit that my previous post may have reflected an overly pessimistic view of the state of play in the current race for the Democratic Presidential nomination. It was probably most affected by the negative attacks in the last debate, the "invisible" looks I got from many whites when they saw my Obama button and witnessing the abject poverty in which many African-Americans live in South Carolina. But I kept at my main task, knocking on doors to advocate for Obama's election. And I am proud to have been a small part of this amazing grass roots effort, and of the postive, uplifting message with which Barack Obama acknowledged the victory.

Let's Make February 4 a SHOW HOPE DAY.

I will write more specifically about my experiences in the coming days, For now, I propose the following. Let's get every Obama supporter to wear a t-shirt, button, hat or sticker on Monday, February 4. We can show America how far and wide the grassroots movement has spread on the eve of Super Tuesday.

We do this to demonstrate:

Our commitment to Change in the conduct of American politics and our Hope for the future of our country.

If you agree, please forward the link to this diary or spread the idea to all your networks.

Obama is only choice to win the White House

C Dornfeld — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 12:17:22 EST

Over the past several days there has been growing recognition by democrats that the best and possibly only chance to take back the White House is Obama.

As discussed on Meet the Press on Sunday, Obama's ability to draw young, minority and independent voters gives him a significant advantage over any other candidate. In direct contrast to this fact is Hillary's ability to divide the electorate and motivate the GOP anti-clinton base. The outbursts over the last month by Bill only emphasize this point.

The South Carolina results show just how much impactObama can have - his votes equaled that of all democratic voters in 2004! More data and results from South Carolina. Does anyone not think the democratic chances go way up if voter turnout is up 10, 20 or 30%?

A nice editorial in the NY Times also speaks to this point and the need to give Obama the Democratic nomination.

It is nice to see the democratic establishment (Kennedys) finally seeing the light and showing their support at this critical point in the campaign. Bravo!

HUGE win with Kennedy endorsement

Working professional — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 12:13:28 EST

What great news this morning to see Kennedy's endorsement of Barack and the reasons that he cited why he sided with the campaign:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/28/us/politics/28kennedy.html?_r=1&th=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&emc=th&adxnnlx=1201539793-jC/t8WxOgFTrJkmERkL9hg

The timing is perfect, before super Tuesday, after the big win in SC. While I am not a huge fan of the all of the Kennedy's, especially Ed, I do respect what many of them did strive to do for the country, especially JFK. Within the democratic party and in the halls of power, this endorsement may very well win the day. But we must stay focused and keep eyes on the prize and push even harder to support hope for change and Obama.

Barack Obama Wins South Carolina

Matthew Negrete — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 12:09:11 EST

The amazing news has come forth from the state of South Carolina. Barack Obama has won with 55 percent of the vote. Here is the breakdown of the January South primary of both parties:

Democratic Party (January 26):

Barack Obama: 55%
Hillary Clinton: 27%
John Edwards: 18%
Dennis Kucinich: 0%

Republican Party (January 19):

John McCain: 33%
Mike Huckabee: 30%
Fred Thompson: 16%
Mitt Romney: 15%
Ron Paul: 4%
Rudy Giuliani: 2%
Duncan Hunter: 0%

Here is Barack Obama's South Carolina victory speech.

Thank you to Barack Obama and everyone who have made this happen.

Race Doesn't Matter

EDB — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 09:10:54 EST

On the floor of the convention center in Columbia, South Carolina, a small but boisterous group of Obama supporters from the DC area started a chant, yelling "race doesn't matter" as Barack made his victory speech. It was our response to the media looking at the Obama campaign through the clumsy lenses of race and gender.

Here's a quick link to the media's response

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&scoring=n&q=%22race+doesn%27t+matter%22&btnG=Search

It was a magical couple of days in South Carolina. Thanks to Ian, Adam, Michael and everyone else who made it possible. Special appreciation to Whitney for starting the chant and for Camille and Manda for the lungs and the inspiration to keep it going.

Solid example of Bill Clinton injecting race.

CJC — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 08:36:19 EST

I think the media and others have gone slightly overboard with some of their allegations of racism/race-baiting on the part of the Clintons, but here is a solid example of former president Bill Clinton blatantly trying to inject race into the campaign.

The reporter's question had absolutely nothing to do with Rev. Jesse Jackson. So why would Clinton mention him?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Qqd2dfjl2pw

I Can't Believe It, I Actually Like a Politician.

Timothy O'Neill — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 05:23:36 EST

I didn't get excited about Barack Obama at first. As a matter of fact, I figured he was a just another politician—ready to pander to the interests of Illinois agribusiness giants, all flash, and no substance. Yet every time I've heard the man speak, (I can barely bring myself to admit it) I've been inspired. To inspire someone as cynical and iconoclastic as I am is no small task. And it's no small matter that Obama opposed the invasion of Iraq from the very beginning. I don't agree with every word that comes out of the man's mouth, but for someone with real potential to become the next President of the United States of America, he's pretty fantastic. This isn't just a post-Bush "anyone but Dubya" head rush. Nor is it a fairy tale. Obama has shown us twice now that he can win. He won in an overwhelmingly white state (Iowa) and a majority black state (South Carolina). And the Clintons have been behaving terribly (lying a lot!) in this campaign. It's no wonder that Caroline Kennedy (JFK's daughter) and Sen. Edward Kennedy (JFK's brother) have decided to endorse Obama. And now I'm jumping on the bandwagon, at least publicly. I've been liking Barack Obama a little more each time I've heard him speak.

Even in New Hampshire, a state where most residents haven't seen a black man since Family Matters went off the air, Hillary Clinton only beat Obama by two measly percentage points. In Nevada, Clinton's popular vote win still netted her one less delegate than Obama—and delegates are what matter. On top of all that, on Saturday, Obama completely pwn3d Clinton in the South Carolina Democratic primary. Yes, that sealed the deal, and inspired me to write this post. Let's get ready for Super Tuesday.

So I just made my second contribution to his campaign. It was only $25, but hey. Every little bit helps. And if a politician (even one with a funny name) can convince a guy like me to donate to his campaign, he may just have a shot at winning this thing. I set up a personal fundraising goal on his website, so if you're considering donating, I urge you to donate here.

Victory In South Carolina!

joetowngirl — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 20:12:07 EST

From my quiet home in a small Missouri town I can feel the excitement and the hope growing with Barack Obama's win in the South Carolina primary! My family cheered last night when the results were announced on television and I am eager to do all I can to promote Barack as the candidate best able to take the reins of our nation.

As the days count down toward Super Tuesday when I, along with record numbers of my fellow Americans, go to the polls in twenty two different states, I am filled with a restless, eager excitement and I feell that the victory can be Barack Obama's in November as well!!

Whites Don't Support Obama in South Carolina? Wrong!

Vas Sudanagunta — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 17:50:25 EST

Ever since Barack's win last night, I keep hearing a refrain in the media that goes something like, "Barack got 80% of the black vote, but only a quarter of the white vote".

Sure, that's factually correct, but the connotation of the "only" is very misleading. Why don't I see headlines and comments like:

Hillary only gets Only 36% of the White Vote

Do the math. That's just a 2 to 3 ratio of white voters picking Obama vs Clinton. Hardly a lack of white support for Obama. And if you factor in that a significant number of Hillary supporters choose her over Obama because they worry about his electability, the difference is even less meaningful. 22% of those polled said that the country isn't ready for a black president, and 77% of those voted for Clinton or Edwards. Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Or how about this headline:

58% of White Women Don't Choose Clinton

Despite the beauty of electing the first female president, and despite there being, sadly, white women who aren't ready to vote for a black person, Obama got one white female vote for every two Hillary got. He did extremely well. And he did get 54% of the overall female vote though earlier in the cycle, even black women favored Hillary.

Here's another headline suggestion:

Edward's Support is 94% White

This is in a race where whites made up 43% of the voters. He got 2% of the black vote. Edwards did win handily a a few categories,white males, Republicans, non-black Republicans... you get the picture. Now I respect John Edwards, but it's hard to not realize a sad truth: Part of Edward's base are people, including Democrats, who aren't ready for either a female or an African American president.

Let's end with something positive:

Barack gets Over 52% of Non-Black Voters Under 30, and 35% of those under 45

Edwards got the biggest chunk of non-black voters 45 and up: 41%. The category where Hillary did the best was non-black voters 60 and over, where she tied Edwards for 42%. With all due respect, that's the past, not the future.

Take a look at the numbers yourself, as reported by CNN, The New York Times and MSNBC. The three supply different sets of breakdowns, so it can be interesting to look at them all.

This article also appears in my column on Newsvine.com. I suggest you comment under my post there, as you will help me gain new support for Barack.

Variation in Demographics across SC Irrelevant, We won Everywhere!!

HHP — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 17:18:09 EST

As the Clintons and some media observers have been busy qualifying Barack Obama's landslide victory in South Carolina, I've been thinking about the demographics of SC. Yes, a third of the state's population, give or take, is African American. BUT that percentage is not distributed evenly across the state. Almost all of the voters in some counties, especially in the SE corner of the state, are African American, whereas other counties have much lower African American populations.

If the South Carolina vote was merely the result of race politics, Obama would have won where black people are concentrated and not in the whiter counties. HE WON 44 of 46 counties. Obama prevailed in ALL except two counties (John Edwards took Oconee, where he grew up, and Hillary Clinton took Horry, where Myrtle Beach is located). Obama did not prevail only in places like Orangeburg and Kingstree and Jasper County.

He took Greenville and Spartanburg. He took Lexington County, one of the whitest and most republican counties in the state. He took all but one of the counties in the upstate, which are demographially more similar to North Carolina that the lowcountry of South Carolina. The NY Times has a map showing the margin of victory and prevailiong candidate by county. In Nevada and NH, Obama took substantial geographical areas of the state. The maps for Iowa, NH, and NV show that Obama and Clinton both took a good number of counties. The map for SC, with its great expanse of green (Obama's color on the map) reveals what a landslide this was for Obama. (As a side note, the Republican map looks almost evenly divided between McCain and Huckabee - the democrats were more unified than the republicans were last Saturday.)

I wish the media would focus on the votes and not the exit polls. All of this talk about the black vote is based on polls. Remember the polls in NH? How about the exit polls in the 2000 presidential election? Why are the exit polls in SC going unscrutinized?

Further, I am sick and tired of Bill Clinton's attempts to make this election all about race. For him to compare Obama's win to Jesse Jackson's wins in the 80s is nonsense. For one, Jesse Jackson was a native son, like John Edwards. Jesse Jackson took only 10% of the white vote, whereas Obama took almost a quarter of the white vote. Funny that Bill didn't mention that he won the SC democratic primary. That seems like a better comparison to me.

Do you remember when all of the talk was about whether African Americans would even support Obama? It wasn't that long ago. Some people said it took Iowa to convince African American voters in SC that Obama could win white votes. The results show me that he can and did win those white votes. Instead of looking at SC as a whole, and dismissing the results, because other states don't share it's demographic profile, I think we should look at the counties. I think we would find that some of the counties, especially in the upstate, are reasonably similar to to the February 5 states.

The fact that Obama won SC overwhelmingly, in all areas of the state, tells me all I need to know about his success from here on out. Remember, also, that he won in IOWA, a place with very few minorities. There is room in this tent for everyone, regardless of race, who is more concerned about the issues than partisan politics.

Yes, we did

Gordon — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 16:56:33 EST

What to say, what to say, about Barack's overwhelming South Carolina win?

Let's start with some facts:

Per MSNBC reporting (or maybe it was CNN), about 290,000 people voted in the Democratic primary in South Carolina 4 years ago, when John Kerry was running against Howard Dean and John Edwards, a native South Carolina son.

Yesterday, Barack Obama received nearly 290,000 votes all by himself.

Barack's winning percentage was more than double the percentage of votes received by Hillary Clinton

OK, the following isn't a "fact," per se, but: you gotta see - or at least read - Barack's victory speech, here:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/samgrahamfelsen/CGxdg

The overall Democratic vote turnout of 530,000 people "was 20 percent more than Republicans' last week and almost beat the GOP record of 540,000 set in the 2000 presidential primary," per Charleston.net; see this link: http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/jan/27/across_the_board_winanalysis28870/

The same link also notes that Obama won 44 of South Carolina's 46 counties, and "he had a 53-30 percent edge over her among women, according to CNN exit poll data" (emphasis added here for the blog).

As previously reported on this blog, John F. Kennedy's political guru Ted Sorensen - who was with JFK from his Congressional days through to the presidency and assasination, and who helped JFK craft his speeches - has already endorsed Barack Obama.

Today JFK's own daughter, Caroline Kennedy, endorsed Obama. Read it here:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/carolinekennedy
Think of how remarkable this is. Caroline Kennedy is an immensely private person. As noted on one of the news channels last night, her mother Jacquline Kennedy was very close to Hillary Clinton and admired Hillary greatly. Caroline's uncle Ted Kennedy has also been very close with the Clintons. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Caroline's cousin, has already endorsed Hillary. Caroline has gone out on a limb here. To do so, she must really belive in Barack Obama.

There's so much more to say, but let's leave it at that for now. Way to go, South Carolina!

Why Obama for President?

C Dornfeld — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 16:42:21 EST

If you have any friends who doubt why Barack Obama should be our next President - send them a link to his South Carolina vicotry speech. Two people switched today and became Obama supporters - one from HRC and one from the Republican party.

Thank you Sen. Obama!

Watch SC Victory Speech

Barack Obama's Victory Speech in South Carolina

Jill 4 Obama — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 15:44:43 EST

"We are up against the idea that it's acceptable to say anything and
do anything to win an election. We know that this is exactly what's wrong with our politics; this is why people don't believe what their leaders say anymore; this is why they tune out. And this election is our chance to give the American people a reason to believe again."

Barack Obama's Victory Speech in South Carolina
Obama for America
Sunday, January 26, 2008

Over two weeks ago, we saw the people of Iowa proclaim that our time
for change has come. But there were those who doubted this country's
desire for something new - who said Iowa was a fluke not to be
repeated again.

Well, tonight, the cynics who believed that what began in the snows of

Iowa was just an illusion were told a different story by the good
people of South Carolina.

After four great contests in every corner of this country, we have the

most votes, the most delegates, and the most diverse coalition of
Americans we've seen in a long, long time.

They are young and old; rich and poor. They are black and white;
Latino and Asian. They are Democrats from Des Moines and Independents

from Concord; Republicans from rural Nevada and young people across
this country who've never had a reason to participate until now. And
in nine days, nearly half the nation will have the chance to join us
in saying that we are tired of business-as-usual in Washington, we are

hungry for change, and we are ready to believe again

But if there's anything we've been reminded of since Iowa, it's that
the kind of change we seek will not come easy. Partly because we have

fine candidates in the field - fierce competitors, worthy of respect.

And as contentious as this campaign may get, we have to remember that
this is a contest for the Democratic
nomination, and that all of us
share an abiding desire to end the disastrous policies of the current
administration.

But there are real differences between the candidates. We are looking
for more than just a change of party in the White House.

We're looking to fundamentally change the status quo in Washington - a
status quo that extends beyond any particular party. And right now,
that status quo is fighting back with everything it's got; with the
same old tactics that divide and distract us from solving the problems

people face, whether those problems are health care they can't afford
or a mortgage they cannot pay.

So this will not be easy. Make no mistake about
what we're up against.

We are up against the belief that it's ok for lobbyists to dominate
our government - that they are just part of the system in Washington.

But we know that the undue influence of lobbyists is part of the
problem, and this election is our chance to say that we're not going
to let them stand in our way anymore.

We are up against the conventional thinking that says your ability to
lead as President comes from longevity in Washington or proximity to
the White House. But we know that real leadership is about candor,
and judgment, and the
ability to rally Americans from all walks of
life around a common purpose - a higher purpose.

We are up against decades of bitter partisanship that cause
politicians to demonize their opponents instead of coming together to
make college affordable or energy cleaner; it's the kind of
partisanship where you're not even allowed to say that a Republican
had an idea - even if it's one you never agreed with. That kind of
politics is bad for our party, it's bad for our country, and this is
our chance to end it once and for all.

We are up against the idea that it's acceptable to say anything and do

anything to win an election. We know that this is exactly what's
wrong with our politics; this is why people don't believe what their
leaders say anymore; this is why they tune out. And this election is
our chance to give the American people a reason to believe again.

And what we've seen in these last
weeks is that we're also up against
forces that are not the fault of any one campaign, but feed the habits

that prevent us from being who we want to be as a nation. It's the
politics that uses religion as a wedge, and patriotism as a bludgeon.

A politics that tells us that we have to think, act, and even vote
within the confines of the categories that supposedly define us. The
assumption that young people are apathetic. The assumption that
Republicans won't cross over. The assumption that the wealthy care
nothing for the poor, and that the poor don't vote. The assumption
that African-Americans can't support the white candidate; whites can't

support the African-American candidate; blacks and Latinos can't come
together.

But we are here tonight to say that this is not the America we believe

in. I did not travel around this state over the last year and see a
white South Carolina or a black South Carolina. I saw South
Carolina. I saw crumbling schools that are stealing the future of
black children and white children. I saw shuttered mills and homes
for sale that once belonged to Americans from all walks of life, and
men and women of every color and creed who serve together, and fight
together, and bleed together under the same proud flag. I saw what
America is, and I believe in what this country can be.

That is the country I see. That is the country you see. But now it
is up to us to
help the entire nation embrace this vision. Because in

the end, we are not just up against the ingrained and destructive
habits of Washington, we are also struggling against our own doubts,
our own fears, and our own cynicism. The change we seek has always
required great struggle and sacrifice. And so this is a battle in our

own hearts and minds about what kind of country we want and how hard
we're willing to work for it.

So let me remind you tonight that change will not be easy. That
change will take time. There will be setbacks, and false starts, and
sometimes we will make mistakes. But as hard as it may seem, we
cannot lose hope. Because there are people all across this country
who are counting us; who can't afford another four years without
health care or good schools or
decent wages because our leaders
couldn't come together and get it done.

Theirs are the stories and voices we carry on from South Carolina.

The mother who can't get Medicaid to cover all the needs of her sick
child - she needs us to pass a health care plan that cuts costs and
makes health care available and affordable for every single American.

The teacher who works another shift at Dunkin Donuts after school just

to make ends meet - she needs us to reform our education system so
that she gets better pay, and more support, and her students get the
resources they need to achieve their dreams.

The Maytag worker who is now competing with his own teenager for a $7-
an-hour job at Wal-Mart because the factory he gave his life to shut
its doors - he needs us to stop giving tax breaks to
companies that
ship our jobs overseas and start putting them in the pockets of
working Americans who deserve it. And struggling homeowners. And
seniors who should retire with dignity and respect.

The woman who told me that she hasn't been able to breathe since the
day her nephew left for Iraq, or the soldier who doesn't know his
child because he's on his third or fourth tour of duty - they need us
to come together and put an end to a war that should've never been
authorized and never been waged.

The choice in this election is not between regions or religions or
genders. It's not about rich versus poor; young versus old; and it is

not about black versus white.

It's about the past versus the future.

It's about whether we settle for the same divisions and distractions
and
drama that passes for politics today, or whether we reach for a
politics of common sense, and innovation - a shared sacrifice and
shared prosperity.

There are those who will continue to tell us we cannot do this. That
we cannot have what we long for. That we are peddling false hopes.

But here's what I know. I know that when people say we can't overcome

all the big money and influence in Washington, I think of the elderly
woman who sent me a contribution the other day - an envelope that had
a money order for $3.01 along with a verse of scripture tucked
inside. So don't tell us change isn't possible.

When I hear the cynical talk that blacks and whites and Latinos can't
join together and work together, I'm reminded of the Latino brothers
and sisters I organized with, and stood with,
and fought with side by
side for jobs and justice on the streets of Chicago.

So don't tell us change can't happen.

When I hear that we'll never overcome the racial divide in our
politics, I think about that Republican woman who used to work for
Strom Thurmond, who's now devoted to educating inner-city children and

who went out onto the streets of South Carolina and knocked on doors
for this campaign. Don't tell me we can't change.

Yes we can change.

Yes we can heal this nation.

Yes we can seize our future.

And as we leave this state with a new wind at our backs, and take this

journey across the country we love with the message we've carried from

the plains of Iowa to the hills of New Hampshire; from the Nevada
desert to the South Carolina coast; the same message we had when we
were up and when we were down - that out of many, we are one; that
while we breathe, we hope; and where we are met with cynicism, and
doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that
timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people in three simple
words:

Yes. We. Can.

South Carolina

new york teen — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 14:53:53 EST

Yesterday may have been the biggest day for the Obama campaign since primary season began.

The Palmetto State saw what our country has endured in the past seven years, and knows the country is seemingly tumbling into recession, and that tomorrow's weather forecast is not very assuring.

The voters, who started coming in waves early Saturday saw through the Clintons' lies demeaning Obama, and knew that the country could not stand another person like that in the Oval Office.

A snowball was made by the voters from the plains of Iowa, the mountains of New Hampshire, the deserts of Nevada, and the beaches of South Carolina, and they decided to help build it.

Then it was pushed down the hill, and it rolled and rolled and rolled. When will it stop?

It won't.

Barack Obama '08!

South Carolina

Harry — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 14:51:59 EST

She didn't concede in a speech last night - no, it was a consession via e-mail to the media.

What a joke! I'm thrilled with the 28 point victory - and the fact that Obama took a majority of the vote, not just a plurality, like in Iowa. I hope this sends a message to the people of the Super Tuesday states. VOTE OBAMA!

And his speech last night was phenominal. It was the speech I was expecting - and more. I hate to use a Clintonism - "I found my voice" - but I think Obama found his voice last night. He was beyond his soaring voice he used in post-Iowa results. He moved beyond "Yes we can!" (and in fact, yes we can!). This election is about the past and the future. And now, not only is Obama's campaign about "CHANGE" it is about the past - the Clintons and the Bushes and Washington politics - versus the future - personified in Obama, healthcare for all, a strong economy, a more peaceful world.

And it's time for America to realize that that's what's at stake. And Obama can take that to the American people. I wonder if there's anyway Bush and his cronies can combat that in the State of the Union tomorrow night.

FLORIDIANS: OUR TIME HAS COME

Scott A. Giordano — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 14:42:00 EST

This is our chance to rise up and shake up the political race in favor of Obama ...