❧❧❧ Whatever you can do or dream, you can BEGIN IT. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Goethe ❧❧❧
❧❧❧ You were born whole, not broken. Sandra Hammel ❧❧❧
Barack and Michelle Obama, January 26, 2008, in Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, South Carolina
The Right Change Can Be Ours
Pat Buchanan said on MSNBC tonight that the Clinton's have Barack Obama ~ after the South Carolina Primary ~ right where they planned. . . right where they want to be. Pat Buchanan is for Hillary Clinton because he expects Hillary to unify his party, the Republican party. He should be fired from his job. I'll reserve my reasons. But I'll say this much, when you can spin a 55% Barack Obama win and a 27% Hillary Clinton loss ~ to be in Hillary's best interest, something is off-balance in the brain.
He is so blatantly weird. And that is nicer than how I want to say, what I feel about this male. How would it be spun if Hillary had won? Would that have been in Barack's bestinterest?
Hillary won in New Hampshire by 2% and even then Barack got the same number of pledged delegates from New Hampshire. How can you win by 28% as in South Carolina, and it is just what Bill and Hillary were hoping for? That is what Pat Buchanan said tonight. What kind of thinking does it take to come up with this reasoning?
Barack Obama's Speech text as prepared for delivery in Columbia, South Carolina...
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:
........................................... Victory (This is new to me, so I am fiddling around with this way of sharing my beloved music, until I learn how it works.)
THIS ELECTION IS ABOUT PAST VERSUS FUTURE ~ Barack Obama January 26, 2008
From the New York Times
January 27, 2008
Op-Ed Contributor
A President Like My Father
By CAROLINE KENNEDY
OVER the years, I’ve been deeply moved by the people who’ve told me they wished they could feel inspired and hopeful about America the way people did when my father was president. This sense is even more profound today. That is why I am supporting a presidential candidate in the Democratic primaries, Barack Obama.
My reasons are patriotic, political and personal, and the three are intertwined. All my life, people have told me that my father changed their lives, that they got involved in public service or politics because he asked them to. And the generation he inspired has passed that spirit on to its children. I meet young people who were born long after John F. Kennedy was president, yet who ask me how to live out his ideals.
Sometimes it takes a while to recognize that someone has a special ability to get us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals and imagine that together we can do great things. In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible.
We have that kind of opportunity with Senator Obama. It isn’t that the other candidates are not experienced or knowledgeable. But this year, that may not be enough. We need a change in the leadership of this country — just as we did in 1960.
Most of us would prefer to base our voting decision on policy differences. However, the candidates’ goals are similar. They have all laid out detailed plans on everything from strengthening our middle class to investing in early childhood education. So qualities of leadership, character and judgment play a larger role than usual.
Senator Obama has demonstrated these qualities throughout his more than two decades of public service, not just in the United States Senate but in Illinois, where he helped turn around struggling communities, taught constitutional law and was an elected state official for eight years. And Senator Obama is showing the same qualities today. He has built a movement that is changing the face of politics in this country, and he has demonstrated a special gift for inspiring young people — known for a willingness to volunteer, but an aversion to politics — to become engaged in the political process.
I have spent the past five years working in the New York City public schools and have three teenage children of my own. There is a generation coming of age that is hopeful, hard-working, innovative and imaginative. But too many of them are also hopeless, defeated and disengaged. As parents, we have a responsibility to help our children to believe in themselves and in their power to shape their future. Senator Obama is inspiring my children, my parents’ grandchildren, with that sense of possibility.
Senator Obama is running a dignified and honest campaign. He has spoken eloquently about the role of faith in his life, and opened a window into his character in two compelling books. And when it comes to judgment, Barack Obama made the right call on the most important issue of our time by opposing the war in Iraq from the beginning.
I want a president who understands that his responsibility is to articulate a vision and encourage others to achieve it; who holds himself, and those around him, to the highest ethical standards; who appeals to the hopes of those who still believe in the American Dream, and those around the world who still believe in the American ideal; and who can lift our spirits, and make us believe again that our country needs every one of us to get involved.
I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president — not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans.
Caroline Kennedy is the author of “A Patriot’s Handbook: Songs, Poems, Stories and Speeches Celebrating the Land We Love.”
www.barackobama.com >:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>: Hey Edward and Edwin Mutanguha!! Song of Celebration .............................................................. ..............................................................
............................................................ Link to George Bush singing Imagine Text from poster, caltv : This is an audio mash up of GW Bush singing the John Lennon classic "Imagine". It has been a worldwide hit and has made it into (John Peel's) BBC Radio 1 Music Festive 50 on UK Radio By John Callaghan, 29, of Dublin, Ireland.
The audio was produced by Waxaudio, I created a video for it by tracking down over 40 separate video clips from George Bush speeches, I lip synched these clips to the audio and interspersed them with footage from the original imagine Video, along with some Iraq war footage and some other bits and pieces.
Who needs a warm-up campaign? Having scaled down her career to support her husband’s political goals, Michelle Obama says “it’s now or never” for the couple to take the White House. As Barack gathers momentum, Michelle speaks candidly about America’s need for change, and a different kind of political marriage.
by Leslie Bennetts WEB EXCLUSIVE
Vanity Fair
Michelle Obama at a rally for Barack Obama in Londonderry, New Hampshire, October 2007. Photograph by Brigitte Lacombe. As Michelle Obama strolls around Mack’s Apples Pick-Your-Own orchard greeting people at the Londonderry children’s fair, she seems relaxed and friendly, her casual manner belying the pressing schedule that just whisked her from Chicago to New Hampshire and will soon rush her off to an afternoon packed with other events.
But when she addresses the crowd, there is no mistaking her sense of urgency as she makes an impassioned case for her husband’s presidential candidacy. “I am desperate for change—now,” she says, “not in 8 years or 12 years, but right now. We don’t have time to wait. We need big change—not just the shifting of power among insiders. We need to change the game, because the game is broken. When I think about the country I want to give my children, it’s not the world we have now. All I have to do is look into the faces of my children, and I realize how much work we need to do.”
I just listened for an hour to a man on Bill Moyers say that he doesn't know who Barack Obama is or what he stands for. I took the information below directly from Barack Obama's website on the issues. If I was in the position to be the only one to hire someone, I would want to meet the person in person, know what their credentials are and watch them at work as well as talk to those who know him or her by their dealings with him or her. I would want to match the abilities to what the job would call for. But for me, most important would by far be the person's integrity. I don't care what credentials can be claimed or what experience they have if the person lacks at the core ~ INTEGRITY. IF I detect phoniness or pretentious character, then I would not want to hire the person. There is a trust that is necessary to believe in the genuineness of the person. There is nothing I loathe more than pretense. If you can't dare to be natural, I can't believe you accept yourself. The most dangerous leaders are those who can't accept themselves. They are always looking to fill the gaping hole of dire personal need and that gets in the way of service for the greater good.
pho·ny or pho·ney adj 1. not genuine and used to deceive 2. putting on a false show of something such as sincerity or expertise na phony person or thing vtto make something appear to be genuine when it is not
Encarta® World English Dictionary
I see Hillary Clinton as a phony. I could be wrong, though. But that is what I see by watching her closely from afar. She is not someone I would choose as a friend.
Choosing a President is like hiring someone, but it isn't possible for me to get to know the person personally. So I watch, listen and read faces while they are talking. I look at them the same way I look at people I meet. If they give reason to want to put trust in them ~ I "hand it over" to them. But when they talk crooked, instead of straight from a place of being comfortable in their own "skin" or character, then I don't trust them.
This is how I feel about Hillary. I don't trust her. Or her motives. I see her caring more about her ambition than the people that she says she cares about. I don't think she is inhuman. I think she is a talented person and politician. She is just not the woman that I want for President.
This business of me being a woman and being required to vote for Hillary because she is also a woman, is absolutely nonsensical to me. Character trumps gender for me.
The "tear" thing means absolutely nothing to me ~ whether it be Edmund_Muskieor Hillary Clinton.
I think that Americans are majorly uninvoled in the democracy. And I believe that voting for someone requires involvement. Most Americans live unaware of their elected politicians by choice. And that is the weakest link in how our country is working out. Thomas Jefferson is credited with this quote: “If once the people become inattentive to the public affairs, you and I, and Congress and Assemblies, Judges and Governors, shall all become wolves. It seems to be the law of our general nature, in spite of individual exceptions." I think Americans are inattentive regarding our government. And that is a major problem. To me.
Everything that George Bush has done as my leader has lacked integrity. And it scares me to look at the field of candidates and see what we could get next. I am so tired of not being listened to by my government. I am so tired of being dismissed, as well as dismissing the U.S. Constitution.
I often think about the First Americans and their perspective. They are not immigrants. They had their way of life denied them and their home and homeland stolen from them so that "we" immigrants could be free. Then the America's "riches" came at the expense of human beings brought from the continent of Africa as well as the indigenous people. We don't face our mistakes, our flaws and our inhumane treatment of "others". And yet, we maintain we are a democracy. I believe we have a duty to be involved in our government. And to face our national foibles.
It is being said that New Hampshire citizens take their primary vote so seriously that they even stood behind the voting curtain in private for an hour choosing the Presidential candidate to vote for. That seems like a waste of time that illustrates the disconnect of the voter's responsibility to get informed before they decide on a candidate and cast a vote. Having been in New Hampshire for 6 days and through January 8, the day of the Primary vote, I know that the people that I came in contact with are not anymore informed than one debate or passing by a TV for two minutes could get them. While going door-to-door, I met however one man from Poland and a family from Italy who are now USA citizens, as well as one Australian woman who canvassed with me for Barack Obama ~ and all of them were informed. It is rare to find an American who is informed. At least the people that I have met.
The following is the issue page on Barack Obama's website:Senator Obama has been able to develop innovative approaches to challenge the status quo and get results. Americans are tired of divisive ideological politics, which is why Senator Obama has reached out to Republicans to find areas of common ground. He has tried to break partisan logjams and take on seemingly intractable problems. During his tenure in Washington and in the Illinois State Senate, Barack Obama has accumulated a record of bipartisan success.
There is no more fundamental American right than the right to vote. Before the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act, barriers such as literacy tests, poll taxes and property requirements disenfranchised many Americans, especially minorities. More than 40 years later, there are still numerous obstacles to ensuring that every citizen has the ability to vote.
As president, Barack Obama will implement a 21st century economic agenda to help ensure that America can compete in a global economy, and ensure the middle class is thriving and growing. He will increase investments in infrastructure, energy independence, education, and research and development; modernize and simplify our tax code so it provides greater opportunity and relief to more Americans; and implement trade policies that benefit American workers and increase the export of American goods.
Throughout America's history, education has been the vehicle for social and economic mobility, giving hope and opportunity to millions of young people. Our schools must prepare students not only to meet the demands of the global economy, but also help students take their place as committed and engaged citizens. It must ensure that all students have a quality education regardless of race, class, or background. Barack Obama is committed to strengthening our public schools to maximize our country's greatest natural resource - the American people. Obama believes that we must equip poor and struggling districts, both rural and urban, with the support and resources they need to provide disadvantaged students with an opportunity to reach their full potential. Too often, our leaders present this issue as an either - or debate, divided between giving our schools more funding, or demanding more accountability. Obama believes that we have to do both, and has offered innovative ideas to break through the political stalemate in Washington.
Senator Obama has been a leader in the Senate in pushing for a comprehensive national energy policy and has introduced a number of bills to get us closer to the goal of energy independence. By putting aside partisan battles, he has found common ground on CAFE, renewable fuels, and clean coal.
Throughout his political career, Barack Obama has been a leader in fighting for open and honest government. As a U.S. Senator, he has spearheaded the effort to clean up Washington in the wake of the Jack Abramoff scandal. In a politically charged election year, Obama acknowledged that corruption was a problem that plagued both political parties. He subsequently enlisted the help of Republican allies to limit lobbyist influence, shine sunlight into the earmarks process and promote open government.
In June of 2006, Senator Obama delivered what was called the most important speech on religion and politics in 40 years. Speaking before an evangelical audience, Senator Obama candidly discussed his own religious conversion and doubts, and the need for a deeper, more substantive discussion about the role of faith in American life.
Strong families raise successful children and keep communities together. While Senator Obama does not believe that we can simply legislate healthy families, good parenting skills or economic success, he does believe we can eliminate roadblocks that parents face and provide tools to help them succeed. A husband and father of two, Senator Obama has promoted strong families in the Senate.
"The cost of our debt is one of the fastest growing expenses in the federal budget. This rising debt is a hidden domestic enemy, robbing our cities and states of critical investments in infrastructure like bridges, ports, and levees; robbing our families and our children of critical investments in education and health care reform; robbing our seniors of the retirement and health security they have counted on ... If Washington were serious about honest tax relief in this country, we'd see an effort to reduce our national debt by returning to responsible fiscal policies." - Barack Obama, Speech in the U.S. Senate, March 13, 2006
As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Obama has fought to strengthen America's position in the world. Reaching across the aisle, Obama has tackled problems such as preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction and stopping the genocide in Darfur.
"I...believe that every American has the right to affordable health care. I believe that the millions of Americans who can't take their children to a doctor when they get sick have that right...We now face an opportunity - and an obligation - to turn the page on the failed politics of yesterday's health care debates. It's time to bring together businesses, the medical community, and members of both parties around a comprehensive solution to this crisis, and it's time to let the drug and insurance industries know that while they'll get a seat at the table, they don't get to buy every chair." -Barack Obama, Speech in Iowa City, IA, 5/27/07
Five years after 9/11, our country is still unprepared for a terrorist attack. From improving security for our transit systems and chemical plants, to increasing cargo screening in our airports and seaports, the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission have been underfunded and ignored. The 9/11 Commission gave the government five F's and 12 D's on the implementation of its recommendations. Senator Obama is a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and has supported efforts to base homeland security spending on risk rather than pork-barrel politics. He has also introduced legislation to strengthen chemical plant and drinking water security and to enhance disaster preparedness.
Barack Obama has played a leading role in crafting comprehensive immigration reform. Obama believes the immigration issue has been exploited by politicians to divide the nation rather than find real solutions. This divisiveness has allowed the illegal immigration problem to worsen, with borders that are less secure than ever and an economy that depends on millions of workers living in the shadows.
Before the war in Iraq ever started, Senator Obama said that it was wrong in its conception. In 2002, then Illinois State Senator Obama said Saddam Hussein posed no imminent threat to the United States and that invasion would lead to an occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. Since then, Senator Obama has laid out a plan on the way forward in Iraq that has largely been affirmed by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group led by James Baker and Lee Hamilton.
There are 37 million poor Americans. Most poor Americans are in the workforce, yet still cannot afford to make ends meet. And too many poor Americans are single mothers who are raising children. Barack Obama has been a lifelong advocate for the poor -- as a young college graduate, he rejected the high salaries of corporate America and moved to the South Side of Chicago to work as a community organizer. As an organizer, Obama worked with churches, Chicago residents and local government to set up job training programs for the unemployed and after school programs for kids.
"We are at that critical and urgent moment. If Washington continues policies that work against America's family farmers, our rural communities will fall further behind - and so will America. But if we reject the politics that has shut ordinary folks out, we can create a new story for rural America ... The dreams of rural Americans are familiar to all Americans - to make a good living, to raise a healthy and secure family, and to leave our children a future of opportunity. It's time for real leadership for rural America to extend that American dream. That's the dream of opportunity that I've spent my life fighting for. And that's what our rural agenda will do." - Barack Obama, Speech in Fairfax, IA, October 16, 2007
"Your own story and the American story are not separate - they are shared. And they will both be enriched if we stand up together, and answer a new call to service to meet the challenges of our new century ... I won't just ask for your vote as a candidate; I will ask for your service and your active citizenship when I am president of the United States. This will not be a call issued in one speech or program; this will be a cause of my presidency." - Barack Obama, Speech in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, December 5, 2007
Americans turning 65 this year have grown our economy by 4.5 times over the course of their working lives. They have tilled our soil, defended our country, taught our children, worked in our factories, and raised a new generation to build upon their successes. And yet, many struggle to get by. Threats to Social Security and Medicare, skyrocketing health costs, and abuse and neglect of seniors all jeopardize our unspoken covenant: our seniors worked hard to take care of us, and now we must be here for them.
"Let us be the generation that reshapes our economy to compete in the digital age. Let's set high standards for our schools and give them the resources they need to succeed. Let's recruit a new army of teachers, and give them better pay and more support in exchange for more accountability. Let's make college more affordable, and let's invest in scientific research, and let's lay down broadband lines through the heart of inner cities and rural towns all across America."
As a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator Obama is committed to helping the heroes who defend our nation today and the veterans who fought in years past. A grandson of a World War II veteran who went to college on the G.I. Bill, Senator Obama has reached out to Republicans and Democrats in order to honor our commitment to America's veterans.
Barack Obama speaking at the College of Charleston, South Carolina January 11, 2008
When I was teaching music in the Portsmouth Public Schools in Rhode Island, on one of my bulletin boards I painted in bold, huge colorful letters I CAN BECAUSE I THINK I CAN. This is the very same sentiment at the core of the children’s book “The Little Engine That Could”. A book based on hope and never giving up, while asking for help to get over the mountain for the boys and girls on the other side. After asking many for help who refused, one said although it had never been over the mountain, that it would try. And the mantra of “I think I can” was repeated as the effort was put out. And once the effort reaped success, the mantra turned into “I thought I could”. It is this philosophy that Barack Obama put out in his speech not only at the Primary Party, January 8 in Nashua, New Hampshire, but also today at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. It was on C-Span twice today and is not yet posted on youtube. Link: C-SPAN A related article
At the Primary Party in Nashua, New Hampshire, January 8, 2008
Over and over throughout my life, I have done what I have been discouraged to do for one reason or another. And 98% of the time I have proven them wrong and my belief in trying ~ “right”. Everything I have done has started with a “want to do”, turned into the steps toward whatever it was, then doing it. And that is why, I am sure, that I can say “I love my life”. How exciting to live when you’re alive and not living on someone else’s idea of your hopes and dreams. This is what I see in Barack Obama. Barack’s speech today brought tears welling up, goose bumps and warm chills through my body.
I am starved for this man to be my President. President Obama. I recorded the speech and have it on while writing this. When I listened to it earlier then heard President Bush speak right after in contrast I just shuddered when Bush spoke two words. I shut GW off. Also, the contrast of hearing the other candidates today, just make me want Barack Obama to win even more. There is not one other candidate that I want.
John Kerry travels to Charleston, South Carolina for Barack Obama
Here comes the racism: Hillary Supporter, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, said about Barack on talk radio "You can't shuck and jive at a press conference. All those moves you can make with the press don't work when you're in someone's living room.” This is a racist comment.
Racism is so internalized in many people who don’t recognize their own racism, that the rest of us have the duty to stand up and out to shine a light on their racism. When comments are made such as Karl Rove made against Barack Obama and in favor of Hillary Clinton, it is obvious who Karl Rove wants to win, so that the Republican candidate has a chance to beat her. It is advisable to stop and think who KG is and what kind of integrity Karl Rove has. None.
Karl writes in his Wall Street Journal article about Presidential candidate Barack Obama “He is often lazy, given to misstatements and exaggerations and, when he doesn't know the answer, too ready to try to bluff his way through.” In reality he is instead describing George W Bush.
Furthermore, how would Karl Rove know what "lazy" is? Because he worked for the "hard worker" President GW Bush?
Rove also writes Mr. Obama comes across as a vitamin-starved Adlai Stevenson. His rhetoric, while eloquent and moving at times, has been too often light as air.” “Light as air”? ~ again isn’t he talking about GW Bush? Compare Bush-speak to any one else and think who comes across more light-as-air than Rove’s Bush.
I believe that all those who strike out at Barack's strength of speaking are jealous. And in Rove's case, any Democrat who believes Karl ~ is suspect of unclear thinking ~ to put it mildly. Rove put "a suit" in the Office. And if there has ever been mindless drivel coming out of the mind of a President, Bush is the guy. Rove claims that Barack’s use of a teleprompter proves he is “calculating”.
This is just my opinion: Rove is a jerk.
Karl Rove wants Hillary Clinton to win, so he’s a Hillary pusher. He purports himself as an expert on Hillary. Rove is not someone I would want to be supporting me as a Democrat Presidential candidate. But maybe Hillary does.
Rove said about Senator Obama: “he looked like a smarmy, prissy little guy taking a slap at her (Hillary Clinton)”. If anyone should know “smarmy” it would be Rove. Barack is not smarmy. This is merely Rove showing us “transference”: the process in psychoanalysis whereby somebody unconsciously redirects feelings, fears, or emotions onto another.
I am white. I was born and raised in a white community. I see and hear bigots from family members and friends at times when I know they don’t even realize what they are saying is blatantly racist. MOST bigots don’t know they are exhibiting bigotry. Insidious bigots are worse than those who announce it with pride.
I know there is racism. That is a factor. But that is no reason for you not to vote for Barack. This is a man born to be President of the United States.
And the time is now.
Yes, We CAN have a country that We the People have a say in what direction we will take it. Rove picked Bush. So let’s not let him pick our Democratic Presidential candidate.
Marianne Young of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, asked Hillary Clinton the question, which the answer was repeated ad nauseam. As I volunteered in New Hampshire for six days, I have been out of touch with the media coverage pretty much.
You know ~ too busy going door-to-door to know what the media was up to. Here’s the thing, I am quite fanatical about MSNBC and especially, Chris Matthews’ Hardball and Keith Olbermann’s Countdown, including being highly impressed with Richard_Wolffe as seen on Olbermann’s Monday through Friday fare. And tonight had to catch up … Olbermann’s number 1 story was Marianne Young (who doesn’t look much different in age than Hillary Clinton) voted for Barack Obama and probably helped Hillary win. Well, anyway that is what I gathered from the pundits tonight. And Hillary, said she felt touched by and "connected" with thiswoman who voted for Barack. The question was "How do you do it?" and "Who does your hair?"
I sat where Barack and Michelle entered for the Primary Party in Nashua, New Hampshire, January 8, 2008. This is a Reuter's picture
This is a Reuter's picture
This is a Reuter's picture
This is a Reuter's picture
This is a Reuter's picture
At our "Staging Area" where we met every dayThis is taken on the one day I had someone to go door-to-door with ~ she is now a citizen, but from Australia and thinks we have such a grand opportunity here, where we GET to be involved in the election. The young woman on the right is on Senator Obama's staff.
I was going to cut me out of this picture, as it is not flattering of me. But pride aside, here is Richard Wolffe and me in Salem High School. I saw him in the second "overflow" room of Barack Obama's speech, January 6, 2008. He was very gracious and offered to have a friend take our picture together. How sweet is that.
And I for one, believe America is having a test about voting for a black candidate. (Imagine if it was a black woman this time.) Look, racism is not over in the USA. I met an Italian family (born and raised in Italy and still have a house there, etc), who vote here in New Hampshire. They obviously lean toward the Democrats. And the one adult son, gave me a very passionate monologue why this country is not willing to consider voting in a black president. Of course, I am totally voting for Barack Obama ~ that black man that is who he means. Nevermind that Barack had a white mother and a black father. But his real argument with me, who in no way was arguing about anything, was that only 2% of Americans vote by using the right criteria, policy, records and character of integrity. I sucked the wind right out of his sails when I let him ramble on, then restated for clarity that I understood his stands and then told him I agreed with him only that I wholeheartedly support this man Barack Obama. By the end, he said if Barack Obama wins, then God bless him. As he drove off, he gave me a thumbs up. This business of Hillary Clinton is now at a place that I will stop being so neutral. Hillary has redefined herself in days that are too close together for anyone who pays real attention to accept her as genuine. She clobbers Barack with unwarranted criticisms then acts like she doesn’t know why people don’t think she is soft enough or let’s call it human. And by “people” maybe I should say media people ~ those that follow her. They see her in a more comprehensive way than the rest of us. And even they have been saying that Hillary is nicer in a one-on-one than in these public settings. As for me, I will count on my own radar about Hillary ~ I don’t like her anymore. I used to. Just not anymore. She let too many staff dirt balls fly and it is simply too unbelievable that someone who is so controlling wouldn’t be fully knowledgeable about this tactical politicking. Hillary has her talents but being true to herself isn’t something that Hillary has mastered. She is a politician that puts politicians in a category of not being straight with us. She is not strong in ways that Barack is, so she attacks those strengths in Barack.
Her poo-pooing of Barack by attacking some of his strengths of energizing our best assests as people of a democracy is stupid. May I say that? Yes.
Barack is a natural. By that I mean, he is comfortable with who he is and one of his best things about who he is ~ is that he is “natural” and not stiff. Hillary couldn’t match up in this category if her life depended upon it. Barack if allowed would lead this country in ways that Hillary couldn’t dream of. And I mean in a good way.
I think that most people who vote don’t pay more than surface attention to the one they vote for. I was in New Hampshire when this happened and I not only went door-to-door, but I stayed with a Republican family who officially are Independents. My opinion: Most people don’t vote and those who do, vote after watching a debate or two and notknowing issues or much about them. I found that people vote on one issue or another and especially about abortion or gay rights. And the other issues are non-binding to them, such as the trillion-dollar war, fair voting, lobbyists, truth in government, jobs, our debt and taking out our loans to run our country from China and Japan, the environment, nuclear war, terrorism, torture, stomping all over our Constitution,open government. ABORTION AND GAY RIGHTS ~ theirmost important issues that they select a candidate for the free world on. I find this incredible. When watching the debate in New Hampshire, a comment was made that the subject of paid lobbyists was a worthless subject ~ “what are they talking about this for?” I couldn’t disagree more. I think our democracy is in danger, unless we address paid lobbyists who “buy” off our elected representatives.
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………………………………………… "Yes We Can" Barack Obama's speech New Hampshire Primary Night January 8, 2008
I was there
"Barack Obama supporter Sandra Hammel (C), reacts to televised results at Obama's New Hampshire primary night rally in Nashua, New Hampshire, January 8, 2008.
REUTERS/Jason Reed (UNITED STATES)" I found this online with the caption last night. Nevada
I love my life. I love where I live. And I am passionate about my passions. I love to dance. Necessary to live: music, piano, singing, writing, acting, painting.
I have been fighting for and supporting the arts all my adult life. Since 2004, I have been working with other activists to end the Darfur genocide.
I have traveled to Europe many times since my early twenties. Places I have been: many USA states including Hawaii, Montreal, Canada, Barbados, France, Spain, Luxembourg, England, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Greece and Germany - and have wonderful memories.
My last trip was in May - June 2013 to Spain.
I would like to travel to Europe and Kyoto, Japan.
I love the southwest where I have visited Hopi, Navajo, Zia and San Idlefonso potters.
Life is exciting and I intend to live it full-out to the end.
B.S. and M.M., both in music
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Khartoum, Sudan Stop Genocide Time
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Genocide is not only a word,
it is crying of the whole human race.
There is nothing redeeming about being silent
when speaking up is the humane thing to do.
The honor and integrity of the human race is at stake.
