Three interesting Obama bits today in an otherwise quiet and relaxing Monday Afternoon...
First up,for $5 you can get Dinner with Obama himself :) Watch the video and kick in $5 for a better America and stand a chance to have an evening with the Senator, on the campaign's dime.... pretty sweet deal if you ask me; pity I'm a max donor...
Also making news, Obama's upcoming 6 Day Bus Tour through Pennsylvania.
The “Road to Change” tour will kick-off in western Pennsylvania and conclude in southeastern Pennsylvania with numerous stops in between.
Great way to "Iowa" the Keystone State and connect with voters, retail style. Hopefully we see more of this after Obama returns from his well deserved Vacation.
Probably the only true News Item today, one with a lasting impact, comes via The American Prospect, as it examines the "Obama Doctrine"
Obama is offering the most sweeping liberal foreign-policy critique we've heard from a serious presidential contender in decades. It cuts to the heart of traditional Democratic timidity. "It's time to reject the counsel that says the American people would rather have someone who is strong and wrong than someone who is weak and right," Obama said in a January speech. "It's time to say that we are the party that is going to be strong and right." (The Democrat who counseled that Americans wanted someone strong and wrong, not weak and right? That was Bill Clinton in 2002.)
The article, better than any I've read thus far, really digs into the meat of Obama Foreign Policy as the author spent time with the braintrust behind the policy.
They envision a doctrine that first ends the politics of fear and then moves beyond a hollow, sloganeering "democracy promotion" agenda in favor of "dignity promotion," to fix the conditions of misery that breed anti-Americanism and prevent liberty, justice, and prosperity from taking root. An inextricable part of that doctrine is a relentless and thorough destruction of al-Qaeda. Is this hawkish? Is this dovish? It's both and neither -- an overhaul not just of our foreign policy but of how we think about foreign policy. And it might just be the future of American global leadership.
Every Obama supporter should pay attention to the findings of this article as it redefines the politics of fear in ways I've not previously heard.
The Obama foreign-policy team describes it as "the politics of fear," a phrase most advisers used unprompted in our conversations. "For a long time we've not seen much creative thinking from Dems on national security, because, out of fear, we want to be a little different from the Republicans but not too different, out of fear of being labeled weak or indecisive," another top adviser says. Identifying that fear as the accelerant of the Iraq War mind-set is the first step to a new and innovative foreign policy. John Kerry was not able to argue for fundamental change in foreign policy because he was consumed by that very political fear. Obama's admonition to Democrats is much like Pope John Paul II's to the Gdansk shipyard strikers -- first, be not afraid.
And in possibly the most critical thinking I've seen any democrats do on Foreign Policy, the Obama Doctrine is a fully formed, well thought out New Way to Peace: Dignity Promotion
What's typically neglected in these arguments is the simple insight that democracy does not fill stomachs, alleviate malaria, or protect neighborhoods from marauding bands of militiamen. Democracy, in other words, is valuable to people insofar as it allows them first to meet their basic needs. It is much harder to provide that sense of dignity than to hold an election in Baghdad or Gaza and declare oneself shocked when illiberal forces triumph. "Look at why the baddies win these elections," Power says. "It's because [populations are] living in climates of fear." U.S. policy, she continues, should be "about meeting people where they're at. Their fears of going hungry, or of the thug on the street. That's the swamp that needs draining. If we're to compete with extremism, we have to be able to provide these things that we're not [providing]."
This is why, Obama's advisers argue, national security depends in large part on dignity promotion. Without it, the U.S. will never be able to destroy al-Qaeda. Extremists will forever be able to demagogue conditions of misery, making continued U.S. involvement in asymmetric warfare an increasingly counterproductive exercise -- because killing one terrorist creates five more in his place. "It's about attacking pools of potential terrorism around the globe," Gration says. "Look at Africa, with 900 million people, half of whom are under 18. I'm concerned that unless you start creating jobs and livelihoods we will have real big problems on our hands in ten to fifteen years." Obama sees this as more than a global charity program; it is the anvil against which he can bring down the hammer on al-Qaeda.
Brilliant Framing.... You need to create solid Defense in order for the Offense to work.. end the narrow mental concepts that are costing the US billions and Thousands in Lives... create a stronger world by lifting up the millions who are otherwise bitter towards the US and the West's prosperity. This is the first I've seen of this, a new construct, the Obama Doctrine.... Something I'd bet we see more and more of this fall as Obama will take the Campaign to mcCain and argue for much more sweeping change, not just in Tactics but in fundamental strategy... don't just kill the terrorists, starve the terrorists from getting recruits by making the world less hospitable to messages of hate and anger... making the world a place where all humans can obtain dignity. I think this is a very fresh perspective, one that can really appeal to people's intelligence as we are collectively frustrated with the Millions and Billions lost in bumbled operation after bumbled operation... Stop moving the goal posts of success and plant them firmly in victory, then set out a strategy of both offense and defense. It's impressive in scope and just might work.
In Closing, one last tidbit unnoticed by many... Hillary's Tax Returns are now promised by "At least April 19th" so says Time. Anyone want to bet a Dinner with Obama that these don't see the light of day before Puerto Rico?