This isn't so much a diary entry to set the world on fire, but a sincere question to the Democrats who came into the voting booth Tuesday, voted for Clinton, and set in your minds you will rather go through four more years of the same ole same because a black man could take the highest office in the land. I don't know what to think really. I mean, I've been through West Virginia and always thought it was one of the more amazing states to go through. I also thought the people of W. Virginia were not based on sterotype, but a deeply caring, hard working type of folk.
So when I heard an interview from Good Morning America with the same talking points about Obama (i.e., "he's Muslum, he'll put whites into slavery, etc.) I am both stunned and amazed. These are our fellow Democrats? These are the representatives of the party of change? I'm VERY scared especially with this campaign. My one question I have to those in the state is one which can't get out of my head:
Hi. I'm a fairly recent reader (for about 3 months now) and this is my first diary , so be kind. I'm very political, and would identify myself as a communitarian pacifist anarchist if forced to stamp a label on myself. Party politics has not interested me for a long time, as I have a basic problem with the idea of representative democracy. This is thew first campaign that I have worked on since Jesse Jackson's run for the Presidency in 1988. I truly believe Obama is different , and his focus on communitarianism draws me even more than his policy positions. Much like Michelle Obama, this is the first time I can say I'm proud to be an American. Much like Barack, I think education is important . My own experience has taught me that while going to college and graduate school is important, it is equally important where one goes to school. In some ways I could be labeled as an elitist , and I don't have a problem with that label. Excelsior!
When I heard that the GOP is trying to rebrand itself as agents of change I had a good laugh and thought of this part in "Oh Brother where Art Though?"
This is not surprising, but it is surprising that it's not being covered more by our media, no?
We need to be reminded that even though Senator Barack Obama may be the Democratic Party's choice for the presidential nominee and may be the best choice for president in 2008's elections - given the three current candidates in the two major parties - we've still got a lot to overcome.
Most people, anxious to make a change in Washington this year, will tell you they are upset about the ill-considered war in Iraq. Many will quickly follow up with examples of other events/decisions they would change if they could. My personal list would include these:
I hope we never forget the day the bridges collapsed in Minnesota, reminding us that the Bush administration would not support spending dollars from the HIGHWAY TRUST FUND to repair and maintain our federal highway infrastructure.
I hope we never forget the day the Bush appointed head of the CONSUMER PRODUCTS SAFETY COMMISSION shrugged as she testified before Congress, confessing she could not remember whether or not the Commission had recalled a single toy made in China that was unsafe for our children.
on this journey, i have met people of all races, ages, backgrounds, religions, sexual orientation, and life experience. in spite of all these differences, there is at least one common ground we all share, we love our country. we are americans. i have found this to be true in each city, county, and state my feet have stood. it has inspired me to seek out that love of country i knew i once had but have been steadily losing these past several years. it wasn’t all that long ago i referred to myself as an ex patriot. yes, i shared michelle obama’s sentiment. and i can agree now that this is the first time in a very long time i feel real pride to be an america.
Colonial, Imperial & Corporatist Powers Rattle Their Swords
Meanwhile chaos reigns even in Yangon (Rangoon). Millions remain homeless and destitute in the coastal provinces. Whether the strategy of exaggerating the crisis, if it is exaggeration, and feigning military action, if it is just a feint, will work remains to be seen.
Barack Obama has been noted for the fanatical devotion of many of his followers. For example, on this site, he is often referred to in vaguely messianic terms – "Obama is coming, are you ready to receive his message of institutional change?" His critics have hammered on his lack of experience, as well as the vast advantage in terms of political tenure enjoyed by his competitors. Hillary Clinton is, of course, a venerable Washington insider with a long record of making announcements. John McCain has likely reversed his position on more issues than Obama has even voted on.
Last night was an historic evening in which (I believe) Barack Obama secured his position as the nominee of the Democratic party. There is virtually no doubt that this will transpire after the results from last evening and I'm thrilled at the prospect of seeing him in the general election.
He gave a great speech that at times seemed to move into general election territory with an attack on McCain and great rhetoric about not being distracted at this critical moment in our nation's history. He admits that he is not perfect, but that he trusts the American people to make the right decision even if the message is coming from an imperfect messenger.
I really liked the speech and thought I'd share it with everyone who didn't get a chance to see it... or would like to re-live the moment.
The Republican loss in the special election for Louisiana's Sixth Congressional District last Saturday should be a sharp wake up call for Republicans: Either Congressional Republicans are going to chart a bold course of real change or they are going to suffer decisive losses this November.
At first, he even seems to get that the same old tactics won't work.
They sense the calm before the storm-Scarborough, Brokaw, Buchanon....literally sweating and/or red-faced. I have never seen republicans look this defeated before...they have no hope and they know it...change is finally coming.
Even the Clinton campaign seems to be coming around...before long, the democratic party will be the force this country has needed it to be.
It's been a long couple o weeks for Obama... and by extension, i think for a lot of us his supporters... but don't forget what's at stake... and that, yes.we.can.
Many of our fellow Americans find the notion of change to be one of inspiration and liberation. Surely, in the waning months of the reign of Dubya, what sane citizen wouldn't be desperate for change?
Well, to the ongoing dismay of many supporters of Senator Obama, such as myself, there seem to be more than a few Americans who are happy with the status quo, or who, at least, think that change might not be so advisable. Among these folks are those who lead privileged existences within in our society. Quite understandably, there are some within the ranks of the privileged who are inclined to work pretty hard to conserve the status quo that provides their privileges.
Yet there are also some not so privileged Americans who seem reluctant to fully embrace Barack's message for change. Not so much because they are opposed to change -- many of them agree that change is needed to put the nation back on course -- but because, in our attention-deficit, sound-bite culture, many of the specifics of what Barack proposes to change remain unclear to them. As Barack's campaign transitions to the national election, it will be crucial that he fine tune his top-line message to appeal to this group of Americans.
I just couldn't hold my peace on this topic any longer. I must have my say and here goes it. The gas tax cut holiday is a substantive debate because the candidates believe they can use it as a prism to define and distinguish themselves from their opponents.
McCain proposed his gas tax plan to help give people some relief from a troubled economy. He urged Congress to institute a "gas-tax holiday" by suspending the 18.4 cent federal gas tax and 24.4 cent diesel tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day. But this gasoline tax helps pay for highway projects in nearly every town through a trust fund. In the past, such a proposal has never fared well.
Sen. Clinton jumped on the bandwagon with McCain but with her own plan to remove the tax drivers pay on gas for the summer, and shift that burden to oil companies.
Sen. Obama took a good look at both of their plans and concluded that it's a political gimmick to pander voters. He said:
"it's typical of how Washington works - a short-term quick fix, therefore, you’ll never see the savings. Then we pretend like we did something."
How many of you have ever read Democratic Left the magazine of the Democratic Socialists of America ? If you haven't, you are missing a vital part of the spectrum of diverse views that go to make up this great Democratic Party. The history of the Democratic Party will reveal many significant contributions from DSA . The founding editor of Democratic Left was Michael Harrington (1928-1989). My diary Michael Harrington: An American Socialist who influenced the democratic party was well recieved here and had a significant impact. As we struggle with a situation that seems to have created a consensus for change, the question of what we want that change to be will be a central topic for some time to come. It is worth having a good source of information to counter the misleading approach the corporate media throw at us without ceasing. Look below to see what Democratic Left has to offer you.
About a month ago, someone here in Mt. Lebanon, a suburb of Pittsburgh, stole my Obama yard sign and replaced it with a McCain sign from across the street. No problem; I returned the McCain sign, and ordered another yard sign, making another donation to Obama while I was at it. Fast forward to last night...
Senator Barack Obama made the decision to run for president of the USA in 2008, not because of some life long personal ambition but he was driven by what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. calls the "fierce urgency of now." He had witnessed overwhelming injustice and unfairness in the lives of so many hard working people at the start when he was a Community Organizer working with a church-based group seeking to improve living conditions in poor neighborhoods plagued with crime and high unemployment on the southside of Chicago some 20 years ago. Barack can relate. He knows what it's like to struggle, for he is the product of a single parent household; one who did not have a lot of money to give him but what they had to give him was valuable - love, good education, and hope.
The church-based group had some success, but it became apparent to Barack that the "American dream" was slipping through the hands of many people, because this country has an economy that works more for the wealthy and well-connected than the average citizens.
Barack had come to realize that in order to truly improve the lives of people in the southside of Chicago and other communities, it would not just take a change at the local levels, but a change in this nation's laws and politics.
We need a teacher, a political organizer, and a reflective leader who is good and big enough to change for the better. Talk about your historical and political negation of President G. W. Bush!
