Liveblogging Barack Obama at Yearlykos

I just came back in from off the porch.  A friend of mine is driving in from Houston.  Came back and Obama is on the stream.

I'll make this short but I thought I'd provide this thread to discuss Obama and his campaign in general.

More after the flip:

Here's the link for Ustream if you haven't been there yet.

Laughingliberally is up right now.  So far it's a good, serious discussion.  

•  C'mon ya'll

  let's talk real politics!

  by nolalily on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 12:52:49 PM PDT

  •  I'm here and lovin' it.

    Obama talking about "clean coal" sticky for him with our crowd but part of his comprehensive plan for energy.

    by speck tater on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 12:54:28 PM PDT

    •  Are you actually

      at yearlykos, speck?

      by nolalily on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:13:28 PM PDT

      •  I wish, I'm at home, putting off

        going to the grocery store right now. Next year, I'll be there, hubby in tow. Are you there nolalily? If so, I'm jealous, but feel a part of the action today.

        by speck tater on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:15:26 PM PDT

        •  I see the confusion, I was just sayin'

          I'm here at your liveblog.

          by speck tater on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:19:31 PM PDT

•  Just noticed

  that there are only about 1,000 less viewers for Obama than were on the Candidate's forum a little while ago.

  by nolalily on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 12:53:51 PM PDT

•  I knew this question would be asked.

  CTL.  He's giving a good answer, though.  Good on ya, Barack!

  by terrapin station84 on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 12:55:19 PM PDT

•  Not going to respond to something scurrilous

  with something scurrilous. Committed to telling the truth repeatedly until it sinks in.

  by speck tater on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 12:58:49 PM PDT

•  Not a bad answer on coal

  My only complaints with Obama have been his environmental and climate change plans. His answer on coal wasn't perfect, but was basically satisfying. He's certainly right about the need to study coal technoglogies w.r.t. China and India. China has mountains upon mountains of coal, and nothing will stop them from burning it. If it takes burning more coal in this country in order to get China the technologies they need - well, it's a tradeoff worth considering.

  I sure wish they'd expand their environmental planks to something other than global climate change and CO2 issues.

  by canoeist on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:01:10 PM PDT

  •  I agree with you

    on this.  I wasn't happy about CTL but my husband explained to me what Obama is really saying.  It's not great but it's not the terrible thing that some people say it is.

    On the other hand, those of us, who make a topic our area of special study, probably have strong ideas about what would eliminate the problem.  The difficulty with this is that, those who don't feel the same, who don't see your issue as their pet issue, will need to be talked into making change incrementally.  They're more likely to vote for something if it isn't perceived as too drastic.

    by nolalily on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:04:43 PM PDT

    •  Agreed

      Another point that I really like to hear, which Obama has said before (but I didn't hear today) is that there are no silver bullet solutions. Really it's the absence of hearing that from some candidates that is surprising. We can't restructure coal and nuclear out of our energy portfolio tomorrow, and they're going to be there in 30, 40, 50 years as well, and so the only real solutions are going to involve both "green" sources such as wind and solar as well as dramatically improving efficiencies and cleanliness of oil, coal, biofuel, and hydro.

      As to your point on drastic vs. incremental change, I think you're right, but with a caveat. Most Americans aren't going to give up their cars tomorrow, no matter what you tell them. But if you allow them to get the same goods and services with more efficient transportation and electrical distribution infrastructure, they won't be opposed, because they don't have to do anything. Sure, we've got to change people's mindsets, but the path of least resistance to doing that is by first going after low-hanging fruit that doesn't have "negative" or "inconvenience" effects on folks - then you get them to rally behind those to make more and more drastic changes in lifestyle.

      by canoeist on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:18:22 PM PDT

•  Talking about Bush grasp for power

  Obama asked what he would do to change that.

  Obama believes that all candidates would make improvements.

  Here are his:

  1.  Gather together joint chiefs of staff to remove troops

  2.  Call in Attorney General to give thorough review of the actions taken by the executive branch (meaning Bush).  He says that Bush has taken power before he asked permission.  Obama implied that there are perhaps even more ways that Bush has grabbed and abused power

  3.  He voted against the FISA bill last night

  4.  Obama talking about the Constitution.  He's really thorough about this.

  by nolalily on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:01:53 PM PDT

•  Barack Obama

  what is it going to take for you to support the impeachment of Bush, Cheney and Gonzales?

  by lisastar on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:02:30 PM PDT

•  Commenting on a return to checks and balances

  Obama's rejection of the unitary executive seems thorough and thoughtful.

  Particularly, his commitment to review the Bush executive orders, with a goal of reversing those which have done damage is a good answer.

  His discussion of signing statements is also nuanced and clear.

  I also liked that he made the point that none of the candidates on that stage would embrace the unitary executive, and would in fact set out to reverse the abuse of power and restore balance.

  by BobzCat on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:05:05 PM PDT

•  Increase funding for NIH! Woot!

  As a scientist, I love that Obama thinks "science is a good thing." And, G-D love him for increasing the budget of the NIH. Obtaining funding these days is almost impossible.

  by speck tater on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:07:08 PM PDT

•  did you just ask a question, nolalily?

  by NeuvoLiberal on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:08:51 PM PDT

  •  Sounded like it, didn't it? LOL! n/t

    by nolalily on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:36:12 PM PDT

•  Whoa. New Orleans.

  Katrina question.  Rebuilding.  I've been waiting for this.

  Pant.  Pant.

  1.  Appoint weekly report from one person in charge.  

  2.  Create a TVA-like agency if necessary.

  3.  Who is getting hired for reconstruction?  Huge lost opportunity if we don't train NO native to do the rebuilding.  I sooooooo agree with this.  We have some but they aren't getting the jobs.  We still have sweet-heart deals.  There, he's talking about Halliburton and Bechtel getting the contracts and this is true.

  4.  Blames dirty politics on New Orleans' failure to rebuild.

  by nolalily on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:10:36 PM PDT

•  New Orleans

  An opportunity to train and provide skills to a generation of New Orleans residents who were neglected before the storm as well as after.

  That's visionary.

  by BobzCat on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:10:37 PM PDT

  •  yeah, that's good, except

    it's important to stay away from the paternalistic idea that people in New Orleans need to be 'saved' by outside intervention.  Key is to work through existing community organizations. I would guess that Obama knows that, since he was an ACORN organizer.

    by Castine on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:25:09 PM PDT

    •  A city ignored for this long

      does need help from the outside, and from the federal government specifically. It was help that was promised, and it was a promise that Bush and the Republican Party reneged upon.

      It's not paternalistic intervention to provide funds, engage the priorities, assist with logistics, and move the necessary resources in the region to give the local communities and organizations the footing to stand up again.

      Only when the rebuilding of New Orleans goes hand in hand with the empowerment of and improvement in the life of its residents, will a tragedy be transformed into an opportunity, and a better, stronger, greater city emerge from the destruction.

      As Obama pointed out, the reality of the last two years has been opportunism, not opportunity.

      That has to change. Obama's vision (or one like it) is the kind that's needed in this region.

      by BobzCat on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:44:25 PM PDT

      •  yes, agreed, but

        Definitely, I agree that a federal aid program is necessary. But it has to be done carefully.

        It's the same sort of issue with international development. Development aid can pour into a country and make things worse.

        I think it's important to question the assumption that New Orleans residents are necessarily disempowered. That is not to deny all the historical problems, rather, it's important to recognize that there is a strong and ongoing legacy of community organization and struggle in New Orleans, and any aid program has to begin there.

        I don't live there, so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about, but I'm not sure what people in NOLA need is "training." Maybe they need the insurance companies forced to pay up claims, and better wages, and new levees, and I don't know what, but I'm bothered by language that seems to imply that NOLA residents are simply disempowered victims in need of education.

        by Castine on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:58:08 PM PDT

        •  I think it runs deeper than that

          I think that the poorer residents of New Orleans, like the many U.S. citizens living in povery, have indeed been disempowered and even disenfranchised, and, yes, victimized by policies that ignore both their needs and their capabilities.

          This is true not only on the Gulf but all over the country. Local organizations and community groups do the best they can, but there's a role for the state and federal levels to play in helping channel and supplement resources.

          Levee building, home construction, community planning, infrastructure maintenance, schools, business, staffing, and so on, in more areas than I'm even aware of, are all part of the re-building of the Gulf, and New Orleans in particular. Sure, all that talent and labor could be outsourced to a Bechtel subsidiary. Or it could be developed through funded programs that give residents and returning residents the tools and the knowledge to find answers, plan, build, and grow their communities again. Of course these would be coordinated through existing entities, as well as newly-established ones.

          That's what I'm getting from the Senator's comments.

          I think you may be seizing on one facet of the argument, and interpreting the language in a way that hangs up on one rhetorical element.

          As you note, Obama was a local organizer before he was a national figure. I'm fairly confident he has a grasp of the role of community development that equals or exceeds any other candidate, and that allows him to see this issue in a way that respects the relationship between community, local, state, and federal contributions.

          by BobzCat on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 03:27:42 PM PDT

    •  I believe Obama's plan

      specifically calls for the training of New Orleanians so that they can do the rebuilding.  He talked about wading through the contractors and then subcontractors until you finally reach a New Orleanian.  I can tell you that this is true, especially on the big money jobs.

      by nolalily on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 02:00:32 PM PDT

•  Hey nolalily!

  I'm sitting right outside the Obama session (I went to Clinton's earlier), but I can hear him through the open door.  Greetings from Chicago!

  by pico on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:13:33 PM PDT

  •  Hey, darlin'!

    Hope you're having a great time!!! Let us know how it's going.  How was Clinton's?

    by nolalily on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:15:38 PM PDT

    •  Clinton was surprisingly not-bad.

      I say "surprisingly" because of the tension between the netroots and her, not because she's not a good politician or anything.  I didn't like all her answers, but many of them were a good start, and she had a very good rapport with the crowd.  Very humanizing.  

      by pico on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 08:11:50 PM PDT

      •  I agree

        I think she's smooth, relaxed and affable enough.  Exterior has got it together.

        by nolalily on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 08:27:49 PM PDT

  •  Pico, shake his hand if you can and wish him

    an HB from those of us who were not able to attend.

    by speck tater on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:16:49 PM PDT

    •  Some folks tried to sing HB to him

      but Americans in general can't sing in a group worth a damn ! I think he got the message though. (I know better, so it wasn't me !)

      by murphy on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 02:24:05 PM PDT

  •  Did you catch

    his NOLA plan?  It's a start and probably pretty realistic.

    by nolalily on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:19:41 PM PDT

•  Last question - healthcare

  Would reconstruct if we were just starting out.

  Thinks it's better to get a universal healthcare system in place by end of his first term and build from there.

  by nolalily on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:14:37 PM PDT

•  I like this guy. I really do.

  Is he perfect?  Doubtful.
  Would he be a good President?  Absolutely.
  Would he be a great President?  Quite possibly.

  by jazzmaniac on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:15:07 PM PDT

  •  He strikes me as the most personable

    With the ever-lovable man of the people John Edwards up there (whom I greatly admire), I think that says a lot.

    He'd be better than Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon, at least.

    by canoeist on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:25:24 PM PDT

    •  That's what the ABC-WaPost poll showed Iowa ...

      voters think.  They viewed Obama as the most likeable, followed pretty closely by Edwards, with Hillary being a distant third.

      by leevank on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:49:46 PM PDT

      •  Hillary unlikable? Crazy talk....

        by canoeist on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 06:32:59 PM PDT

•  Obama is neutralizing

  the view that all politicians are corrupt Duke Cunninghams.  I agree with him and I'm glad he brings it up.

  by nolalily on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:16:21 PM PDT

•  If Obama could have a single payer

  health care system, he would, but economically must work thru existing insurance companies (like Canada did).

  More important, you have to reduce the influence of big money in DC. Calls outright corruption rare, people care more about a zillion emails.

  The levers of power can be worked so people rule, not special interests.

  by MyBrainWorks on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:17:17 PM PDT

  •  Personally, I favor single payer, but ...

    it's possible to have a system that includes heavily regulated insurance companies that is both much cheaper and more effective than ours.  The Netherlands has such a system which seems to be working reasonably well.  One of the other EU countries does as well, but I can't remember which one it is at the moment.

    by leevank on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:48:41 PM PDT

•  Who's going to be able

  to bring the country together and build a majority who are for change?

  Why, you Sen. Obama.  You.  And we will, too.

  by nolalily on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:18:19 PM PDT

•  health care

  He says if he could start from scratch, he would support a single-payer plan. But thinks there is a vast institutional legacy in the way, and it poses an economic problem as well as a political problem.

  He wants to get a program of universal coverage signed into law by the end of his first term. People can choose whether they want to join a private program or the government program. Says he believes the government program's cost will be lower and delivery will be better and the country will shift that way. Says Canada also had a period of transition before a single-payer plan.

  by Castine on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:22:29 PM PDT

•  Watched the live stream

  Principled, thinking, visionary, erudite, self-aware, comfortable with himself and others - these are some of my initial thoughts after viewing the Q&A with (my then State Senator and now my) U.S. Senator Obama.

  by Sagittarius on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:31:56 PM PDT

  •  Wish I could give you

    2 fours.  The other one is for the line from Marvin Gaye.  (swoon).

    by nolalily on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 01:37:57 PM PDT

•  Edwards

  did anyone noticed that Edwards was going out of his way to praise Obama while bashing Hillary?

  by BlueStateLiberal on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 02:14:32 PM PDT

  •  Yes. n/t

    by mommaK on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 03:02:53 PM PDT

    •  smart

      you don't bash a guy who is also well-liked by the netroots. he'd lose points. obama didn't bash edwards either. Hillary has netroots issues so he can take swipes provided the swipes dovetail nicely with the netroots on specific issues (see lobbyists).

      by dpg220 on Sat Aug 04, 2007 at 03:55:48 PM PDT