 sj |
||
|
||
BS: Popular Views on Obama
|
|
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 01 Feb 08 - 07:52 PM You don't want a President who sees te world that way -- just one who can understand what it IS to see the world that way. Edwards was the closest, but Obama on balance is a big improvement. A |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Azizi Date: 02 Feb 08 - 07:30 AM La Opinión, Los Angeles's Spanish language newspaper endorses Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee for President! Here's excerpts from their English language edition: "The Democratic Party arrives at the California primary with a historic choice between two extraordinary candidates. We believe that of the two, Senator Barack Obama represents fundamental change in a campaign in which "change" has become a central theme. Obama's approach to immigration and his inspiring vision are what the country need to break through the current feeling of political malaise." -snip- That editorial noted that Obama's and Clinton's positions on many issues were nearly identical. However, they placed a great deal of emphasis on the differences between these two candidates' position on driver's licenses for illegal immigrants: "As well, we were disappointed with her calculated opposition to driver's licenses for the undocumented, which contrasts markedly from the forceful argument in support made by Obama. We understand that this is an extremely controversial issue but we believe there is only one right position and it is that of the senator from Illinois. And, while both senators support comprehensive immigration reform, only Obama has committed to bringing forward new legislation during his first year in office. It is this commitment to the immigration issue which drove Obama to condemn the malicious lies made during the immigration debate, to understand the need for driver's licenses, and to defend the rights of undocumented students by co-authoring the DREAM Act."... -snip- More information and commentary can be found by reading: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2/2/31555/88580/323/448168 |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Azizi Date: 02 Feb 08 - 08:58 AM Note: This comment is also posted on Mudcat's Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}thread thread.cfm?threadid=108209&messages=25 Here's a link to a powerful, creative video of Barack Obama's victory speech after winning the South Carolina Democratic primary 1/26/08. http://www.dipdive.com/ -snip- I found out about this video by reading http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/2/25117/88939/346/448161 Incredible video: Obama set to music featuring who's who of the industry by RangerKeeper Fri Feb 01, 2008 at 11:56:25 PM PST ** http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2/2/04722/24305/353/448138 is another dailykos diary about this remarkable video. Here's a quote that was included in that last diary: "The music video "Yes We Can" premiered on ABCNewsNow's "What's the Buzz" on Friday. It was inspired, will.i.am told ABC's Alisha Davis, by Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign and in particular by the speech he has gave after the New Hampshire primary. * "It made me reflect on the freedoms I have, going to school where I went to school, and the people that came before Obama like Martin Luther King, presidents like Abraham Lincoln that paved the way for me to be sitting here on ABCNews and making a song from Obama's speech," will.i.am said. "The speech was inspiring about making change in America and I believe what it says and I hope everybody votes," Dylan said. The music video includes excerpts from the Obama speech and appearances from a range of celebrities including: Scarlett Johansson, John Legend, Herbie Hancock, Kate Walsh, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Adam Rodriquez, Kelly Hu, Amber Valetta and Nick Cannon." -snip- In addition to will.i.am, other celebrities featured in this video are: Common Jesse Dylan Yael Naim [There may be more, but these are the names that I found in those diaries] Here's some information about will.i.am: "William James Adams, Jr. (born March 15, 1975 in Toronto), better known by his stage name will.i.am, is an American hip hop musician, songwriter and founding member and frontman of Black Eyed Peas. He also has his own label called will.i.am music group. He is of Jamaican descent". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will.i.am -snip- Apparently this video was done with no coordination with the Obama campaign. In this speech the crowd of Obama supporters chant "Yes We Can!", "We Want Change!", and "Race Doesn't Matter." * As per that quote above, the video was inspired by Barack Obama's New Hampshire speech [click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe751kMBwms to see a video of that speech]. However, the Yes We Can music video features Obama's South Carolina speech http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iVAPH_EcmQ] If you can watch online videos, dipdive's "Yes We Can" music video is one you won't want to miss! |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Azizi Date: 02 Feb 08 - 09:59 AM Susan Eisenhower, author, and granddaughter of Republican President Eisenhower endorses Barack Obama. "Why I'm Backing Obama Susan Eisenhower Saturday, February 2, 2008; Page A15 "...The last time the United States had an open election was 1952. My grandfather was pursued by both political parties and eventually became the Republican nominee. Despite being a charismatic war hero, he did not have an easy ride to the nomination. He went on to win the presidency -- with the indispensable help of a "Democrats for Eisenhower" movement. These crossover voters were attracted by his pledge to bring change to Washington and by the prospect that he would unify the nation. It is in this great tradition of crossover voters that I support Barack Obama's candidacy for president. If the Democratic Party chooses Obama as its candidate, this lifelong Republican will work to get him elected and encourage him to seek strategic solutions to meet America's greatest challenges. To be successful, our president will need bipartisan help. Given Obama's support among young people, I believe that he will be most invested in defending the interests of these rising generations and, therefore, the long-term interests of this nation as a whole. Without his leadership, our children and grandchildren are at risk of growing older in a marginalized country that is left to its anger and divisions. Such an outcome would be an unacceptable legacy for any great nation". http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/01/AR2008020102621.html?hpid=opinionsbox1 |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 02 Feb 08 - 10:21 AM An uplifting letter from a grand old tradition. Thanks, Zeez! A |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 02 Feb 08 - 10:56 AM Why Republicans Like Obama By Peter Wehner (WaPo) Sunday, February 3, 2008; Page B07 Barack Obama is not only popular among Democrats, he's also an appealing figure to many Republicans. Former GOP House member Joe Scarborough, now a host on MSNBC, reports that after every important Obama speech, he is inundated with e-mails praising the speech -- with most of them coming from Republicans. William Bennett, an influential conservative intellectual, has said favorable things about Obama. So have Rich Lowry of National Review and Peggy Noonan. And so have I. A number of prominent Republicans I know, who would wage a pitched battle against Hillary Clinton, like Obama and would find it hard to generate much enthusiasm in opposing him. What is at the core of Obama's appeal? Part of it is the eloquence and uplift of his speeches, combined with his personal grace and dignity. He seems to be a well-grounded, decent, thoughtful man. He comes across, in his person and manner, as nonpartisan. He has an unsurpassed ability to (seemingly) transcend politics. Even when he disagrees with people, he doesn't seem disagreeable. "You know what charm is," Albert Camus wrote in "The Fall," "a way of getting the answer yes without having asked any clear question." Obama has such charm, and its appeal is not restricted to Democrats. ... Ted Kennedy's nephew Rory, son of Ethel, opines: "Rory Kennedy: Two fine choices, one clear decision - Obama Rory Kennedy Saturday, February 2, 2008 "...I have no doubt of Senator Clinton's commitment to these issues. And still, that is not enough of a reason for me to vote for her. Times are far too dark, the price of failure too steep and the road ahead too perilous for us to vote on identity politics. I would love to see a woman be president. I would love to see an African American be president. But right now, what I would love most is to elect the best person for the job. I believe that person is Sen. Barack Obama. As a leader, he has inspired generations of Americans to look beyond reductive categories like gender or race. Instead, he calls on us to think past our own individual interests, to envision a world that is better for every person in it. Like Senator Clinton, I have no doubt of Senator Obama's commitment to the issues I care about. But, his unique ability to unify this country and transcend partisan gridlock means that we can finally get something done. In my years making documentaries, I have traveled to remote regions, from small villages in South America, to townships in South Africa, to the hollows of Appalachia. Every trip, every film, I meet people who still keep photographs of my family on their walls. They cry when they meet me, simply because they were touched by my father, Robert Kennedy. In part, this is because my father supported policies and legislation that helped the disenfranchised. But it is also, and perhaps more importantly, because they felt that my father understood their pain. Senator Obama has that quality too. He has an open heart and an energizing spirit. Recently, my mother, Ethel Kennedy, said of Obama: "I think he feels it. He feels it just like Bobby did. He has the passion in his heart. He's not selling you. It's just him." I agree. Obama is a genuine leader. We Americans - women included - desperately need that kind of leader now. Not a president of a particular gender or a specific race, but a president with a different vision, one who inspires a sense of hope...." |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Big Mick Date: 02 Feb 08 - 11:09 AM I have said for quite a long time that the thing that I bemoan in this political system, the partisanship, has evolved in a very unhealthy way. When I first started in political activism, in 1975, we all, Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, were trying to accomplish the same thing. We were all trying to keep America progressing towards a better society. We just had different ideas as to how to get there. By and large, there was a least a respect for one another, and everyone understood that arriving at consensus was how we would get to where we had to go. A certain respect was there. But beginning with the Reagan Revolution, and the Gingrich years, the respect disappeared. The right began to demonize progressives as "liberals" turning that word into a perjorative. The left responded by characterizing everyone to the right of center as some kind of neanderthals. The result, all these elections later, is what Susan Eisenhower so accurately describes. I am not unmindful of the excesses of the left from the late '60's forward. Nor am I ignoring what was wrong with the system, and the abuses of it, in those days. Admittedly my description is over simplified. But the important piece that Susan Eisenhower, and Caroline Kennedy before her, are hitting is that we are killing the most important part of the American Dream ......... and that is hope. That is being inspired. That is young people wanting to pursue something greater and more noble than self interest. My generation, the generation that wanted to change the world, has missed the mark and slid back into a hedonistic mire that has brought us to the edge of environmental, social, and economic collapse. But out of that mire has come a young man, filled with the message of inspiration, tempered in the fires of community organizing, and ready to blaze the trail towards possibilities. I sincerely wanted John Edwards to be the candidate, and I feel his presence in this campaign. But the more I listen to this wonderful young man, the more I let his rhetoric and zeal filter into my being, I find myself remembering the last man that made me feel this way. His name was Bobby Kennedy. It was during a time that saw the people I most admired murdered.... JFK, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X..... it was a time that saw us in the mire of Vietnam . Imagine growing up during this time. One minute you are a kid in the 1950's, when all things seemed possible. Then the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Kennedy assassination, Martin Luther King's assassination, student riots, Vietnam, ....... it was like having your world come apart in front of you. Then emerges this young man, brother of a slain President ... and you have hope. You can see the care for all people, you can see the possibilities, you begin to aspire to noble ideals ...... then ..... in a horrid moment in a kitchen in L.A..... the final nail was driven in the coffin of hope and idealism. My generation began the long, slow decline into materialism and hedonism that has led us to this moment, when the fire has died to the last few embers in the ash. Wow .... what a rambling diatribe, and I apologize for it, but writing it has made me realize what we have here. I want my generation to realize that we have an opportunity. We have the chance to resurrect, in a new generation, a more savvy generation, the hope we all felt in that time long ago. We have a chance to restore the necessary balance in the political process, and have it gel around a charismatic leader with a vision of "dreams that never were, and ask why not". Thanks Susan, thanks Caroline. See you at the polls. All the best, Mick |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 02 Feb 08 - 12:06 PM Get 'er done, Big Mick!! A |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Azizi Date: 02 Feb 08 - 01:59 PM Native Times endorses Obama for President 2/1/2008 "US Senator Barack Obama is the choice of the Native American Times to become the next president of the United States. This choice made before the all important super Tuesday election to get as many Native Americans to the polls as possible to push Obama to victory. This is not an anti-Hillary vote but a decision based on what is best for Native Americans. Alaska will be caucusing; Colorado with the Ute Nation and large Native urban populations will have a primary; the Nez Perce will be voting in the all Democratic caucuses; The Kickapoo, and Prairie Band Potawatomi will be voting in the Kansas Caucuses; The Dakota and Ojibwa people will be voting in Minnesota's Primaries; Republican Crows, Northern Cheyenne, Blackfeet, Cree and others will be voting in Montana's caucuses; the Pueblos, Navajos, and Apaches will be voting in New Mexico Primaries; the Seneca, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga and other tribes will voting in New York's primaries; In North Dakota the three Affiliated tribes, Devil's Lake Sioux, Standing Rock Sioux and Turtle Mountain Chippewa will be voting in their caucuses; Oklahoma with their over 300,000 Indians and over 30 federally recognized tribes will be heading to the polls for their primary; in Utah the Navajo, Ute's, Shoshone, Paiutes and Goshute tribes will vote in their primaries. Over 1 million Indians will be voting on Super Tuesday and they can have a deciding say in who is the next president of the United States. And one man seems to know and care about that fact. Obama has started to aggressively reach out to Native Americans in word and deed. In his words he has put together a policy which truly addresses Native problems. In his deeds he has actually gone to Indian reservations to seek our votes. He is also the co-sponsor of the all important Indian Health Care Improvement Act. And he continues to seek the Native vote"... -snip- Click http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=9295 for the complete article. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 02 Feb 08 - 03:03 PM "Poll: Obama, McCain Lead in Illinois By The Associated Press Ð 1 hour ago THE RACE: The presidential race for Democrats and Republicans in Illinois. ___ THE NUMBERS - DEMOCRATS Barack Obama, 55 percent Hillary Rodham Clinton, 24 percent Undecided, 20 percent ___ THE NUMBERS - REPUBLICANS John McCain, 43 percent Mitt Romney, 20 percent Mike Huckabee, 15 percent Undecided, 17 percent ___ OF INTEREST: In the Democratic race, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois led Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York better than 2-1 in the poll done for the Chicago Tribune and WGN-TV. And 48 percent said Obama has the best chance of winning the general election, compare to 23 percent for Clinton Ñ a dramatic shift from a similar poll done Dec. 9-13 that gave Clinton 39 percent and Obama 37 percent. The December poll also ranked McCain fourth, behind Rudy Giuliani, Huckabee and Romney." ___ |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Peter Kasin Date: 03 Feb 08 - 04:44 AM Beautiful piece, Mick, and my sentiments exactly. Chanteyranger |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 03 Feb 08 - 09:40 AM State poll shows huge gains by Obama, McCain John Wildermuth,Carla Marinucci, Chronicle Political Writers Sunday, February 3, 2008 A startling surge of support for Barack Obama has catapulted the Illinois senator into a virtual tie with Hillary Rodham Clinton in California's Democratic presidential primary, a Field Poll released Saturday shows. Arizona Sen. John McCain lengthened his lead in the state Republican primary, grabbing a 32 to 24 percent edge among likely voters over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee was at 13 percent and Texas Rep. Ron Paul at 10 percent. But the Democratic numbers are the shocker. Clinton, a longtime California favorite, saw her once-commanding lead slip to two percentage points, 36 to 34 percent, in the new survey. That's down from the New York senator's 12 percentage point lead in mid-January and a 25 percentage point margin over Obama in October. But with 18 percent of Democratic voters still undecided just days before Tuesday's primary, the election is still up for grabs, said Mark DiCamillo, the poll's director. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 03 Feb 08 - 09:55 AM "Barack Obama is among the most impressive political talents of our lifetime. " Peter Wehrner, formerly deputy assistant to President Bush, is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, in an article entitled Why Republicans Like Obama in the Washington Post. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Rapparee Date: 03 Feb 08 - 12:10 PM Obama had a rally in Boise last night and attracted 14 supporters. Wait, that was supposed to be 14,000 supporters. In Idaho. The reddest of the red states. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 03 Feb 08 - 03:49 PM He just finished speaking in St Louis MO; the crowd was in tears. He offered poetry, excitement, courage, vision AND particular platforms and programs which hit them where they lived and sounded possible. This man is the most impressive speaker I have ever seen, possibly including JFK, but he is also a hard-nosed manager who, I think, will prove effective and efficient as well as inspiring. Put him in, boys, and let him run. I think he has what we need. A |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 03 Feb 08 - 04:39 PM The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the San Francisco Chronicle are endorsing Barack Obama in the upcoming Feb. 5 Democratic presidential primary. The Obama campaign announced the Post-Dispatch endorsement Saturday. The Post-Dispatch, which is the largest paper in Missouri, also circulates in Southern Illinois. Voters in both states head to the polls on Feb. 5. California voters also go to the polls on Feb. 5. The Post-Dispatch writes that: We disagree with the details of some of Mr. Obama's legislative proposals, particularly his heavy reliance on insurance companies as part of an overhaul of national health policy. But we are comforted by his legislative career in Springfield and in Washington, where he worked diligently across party lines, seeking common ground and, often, finding it. He offers a welcome return to civility and cooperation. We're afraid that wouldn't be the case with his principal opponent for the Democratic nomination, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York. She has been a diligent senator since her election in 2001, but she is a lightning rod. There is a difference, too, between seeking consensus and "triangulating" core principles into positions palatable to campaign donors. And we confess to a certain "Clinton fatigue." The emergence of the former president as the Luca Brasi of the campaign trail reminds us of the worst of the Clinton years: the divisiveness and the bickering; the too-casual, if artful, blend of truth and half-truth. We're not eager for the replay. As to John Edwards, the former senator from North Carolina, he is the right man at the wrong time, a star whose light is eclipsed by the tail of a comet. Comets don't come around that often. In January of 1961, Ann Dunham Obama was six weeks pregnant with Barack Obama Sr.'s child when President Kennedy said at his inauguration that "the torch has been passed to a new generation." It's that time again. The full endorsement will be posted on the Post-Dispatch Web site, stltoday.com The Chronicle writes that: The American political system needs a period of reprieve and renewal. It needs a reprieve from a White House that draws power from fear, sneers at any science that gets in the way of corporate or theocratic missions and stubbornly adheres to policies that leave the nation sinking in debt and mired in war. It craves a reprieve from the politics of bloodsport that prize clever calculation over courage, winning over principle, party label over national interest. The renewal must come from a president who can lead by inspiration, who can set partisanship aside to define and achieve common goals, who can persuade a new generation of Americans that there is something noble and something important about public service. There is no doubt about the Democrat with the vision and skills to bring that period of reprieve and renewal. It is Sen. Barack Obama. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 03 Feb 08 - 09:41 PM WILMINGTON, Del. -- Illinois Sen. Barack Obama flew from St. Louis to Delaware for a rally in Wilmington before returning to Chicago to watch the Super Bowl in the comfort of home with his family (and maybe some of his Secret Service agents, whom he said he'd invite in if they wanted to join him). An estimated 20,000 turned out for the rally at a downtown square in Wilmington, according to the fire department, with thousands who couldn't fit inside the square squeezing up against the perimeter fence and spreading onto the steps of surrounding buildings. It was the largest Wilmington rally city officials could remember. Obama expanded on his customary stump speech by including a new section arguing that he would make a stronger opponent against Sen. John McCain in the general election because he had opposed the war in Iraq from the start and would thus be less conflicted than Clinton in debating that issue with McCain. "If John McCain is the nominee, then the Democratic Party has to ask itself, do you want a candidate who has similar policies to John McCain on the war in Iraq, or someone who can offer a stark contrast?" Obama said. "When I'm the nominee McCain won't be able to say, 'You were for this war in Iraq,' because I wasn'’t....I can offer a clear and clean break from the failed policies of George W. Bush....We need clarity in this campaign, and that’s what I offer." It was just the latest enormous rally for Obama. The past week has seen him draw audiences of 18,000 in Denver, 20,000 in St. Louis, and more than 13,000 in Boise, Idaho. The size of the crowds has astonished those attending and persuaded some of them that Obama was on the way to winning their states, even if polls showed him closing the gap but still trailing. "It's a snowball running down a steep hill. It's picking up all along," said Kevin Worden, the director of Habitat for Humanity in Rochester, Minn., and one of the 18,000 who turned out to see Obama in Minneapolis on Saturday. "Look at these numbers!" said Helen Douglas-Taylor, a St. Louis teacher, as she looked out at the full floor of the St. Louis Rams football stadium on Saturday night. "We're going to change this nation. We're just ready as a nation for something fresh. And he is fresh." To be sure, plenty of those attending Obama rallies are still undecided, coming to see him to help make up their mind, or simply to catch a glimpse of a public sensation. In Wilmington, Debbie Demeter, a teacher, said she was still trying to decide between Obama and Clinton. "He's a very elegant speaker, and a sign of hope and change for the future. He's young, and he can bring forth some new ideas," she said. But, she added, "I would love to see the first woman president." But there is an unmistakable sense on the trail that, heading into Super Tuesday, Obama has succeeded in reclaiming his momentum. Voters turning out for the rallies say the reason for his resurgence is quite simple: he embodies change in a way that Clinton simply cannot and is offering a sort of communal inspiration and excitement that is hard to resist. If you get a chance to view a replay of this St Louis Feb 2 event, don't miss it. It is a spectacular event, and a very real speech at the same time. A |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Azizi Date: 03 Feb 08 - 10:40 PM Correction: The "Yes We Can" music video whose link I included in my 02 Feb 08 - 08:58 AM post to this thread is based on Barack Obama's New Hampshire primary concession speech and not his South Carolina primary victory speech. ** Here's some more endorsement news-Maria Shriver, wife of the [Republican] governor of California, Arnold Schwartzenegger [sp?] publicly endorsed Barack Obama at the UCLA rally held today that featured Michelle Obama, Caroline Kennedy [her married name?], and Oprah Winfrey. This was a surprise endorsement. It's bound to get huge coverage throughout the California [and national] news media, and probably will have some effect on the already tight primary race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. ** Stevie Wonder was also at that abovementioned UCLA rally. He also endorsed Barack Obama. ** Joan Baez also endorsed Barack Obama through a letter she sent to a San Francisco newspaper. Baez wrote that, though she had been asked to do so many times, she had never endorsed any other political candidate. Yet, she did so because she believed in Barack Obama's candidacy. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Peace Date: 03 Feb 08 - 10:43 PM "Stevie Wonder was also at that abovementioned UCLA rally. He also endorsed Barack Obama." . . . he's for-sure colour blind. Obama will be next President of the United States. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Little Hawk Date: 03 Feb 08 - 10:54 PM Hmmm. That's quite interesting that Joan (Baez) decided to endorse him. Most unusual that she would do that. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Ron Davies Date: 03 Feb 08 - 11:06 PM It makes perfect sense that she would do that. In a lot of ways, Obama's candidacy--especially if he wins--says more clearly than anything else could that what Joan Baez--and so many others--stood for in the early 1960's--was worth it--and has come to fruition. And it's the rejection of the politics of cynicism--finally--for the politics of hope, and the rejection of the politics of division for that of unity. Why would she not endorse him? As anybody else who has rejected cynicism and divisive politics would do. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Little Hawk Date: 03 Feb 08 - 11:13 PM I say that it's unusual simply because she has (as far as I know) never before chosen to endorse a presidential candidate, and I say it for no other reason whatsoever. That makes it unusual, correct? I also like the fact that Obama does not play the politics of division. I like it a lot. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Azizi Date: 03 Feb 08 - 11:17 PM Here's Joan Baez's letter of endorsement of Barack Obama: Leader on a new journey Editor - I have attempted throughout my life to give a voice to the voiceless, hope to the hopeless, encouragement to the discouraged, and options to the cynical and complacent. From Northern Ireland to Sarajevo to Latin America, I have sung and marched, engaged in civil disobedience, visited war zones, and broken bread with those who had little bread to break. Through all those years, I chose not to engage in party politics. Though I was asked many times to endorse candidates at every level, I was never comfortable doing so. At this time, however, changing that posture feels like the responsible thing to do. If anyone can navigate the contaminated waters of Washington, lift up the poor, and appeal to the rich to share their wealth, it is Sen. Barack Obama. If anyone can bring light to the darkened corners of this nation and restore our positive influence in world affairs, it is Barack Obama. If anyone can begin the process of healing and bring unity to a country that has been divided for too long, it is Barack Obama. It is time to begin a new journey. JOAN BAEZ Menlo Park http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/03/ED50UO8QM.DTL |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Ron Davies Date: 03 Feb 08 - 11:18 PM Sorry, I thought you were honestly puzzled. Glad you understand the reasons. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Azizi Date: 03 Feb 08 - 11:37 PM Here's an article about Maria's Shriver's endorsement of Barack Obama: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5g9S1GoNUsKhPMU8fu-tBFidEK-UQ Here's the quote that is getting the most attention from Shriver's impromptu speech: "The more I thought about it, I thought, you know, if Barack Obama was a state, he'd be California. "I mean, think about it: diverse, open, smart, independent, bucks tradition, innovative, inspiring, dreamer, leader!" -snip- And here's the link to the video of Maria Shriver's endorsement of Obama: That link also includes the video of Oprah Winfrey's speech at that UCLA rally: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/03/watch-maria-shrivers-su_n_84711.html |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Azizi Date: 03 Feb 08 - 11:56 PM Oprah, Stevie Wonder, Maria Shriver pitch Obama By Michael Martinez http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2008/02/oprah_stevie_wonder_maria_shri.html 2/3/2008 LOS ANGELES -- Oprah Winfrey was greeted with a rousing ovation that seemed largely composed of women, especially when they responded to Oprah's remarks about women. Also attending the rally was Michelle Obama, who escorted Stevie Wonder on stage, though both stumbled up the stairs. Wonder later joked: "By the way, I was so busy looking at the next first lady that I lost my way." Wonder even sang a little dittie, with a harmonica, that was sung as if he were reciting the musical scales in ascending and descending order to the name of "Ba-rack O-ba-ma." -snip- [my addition of italics] I haven't been able to find a video of this yet. If I do, I'll post a link. If someone else does, please post. ** Btw, one quotable quote from Oprah's speech at that event was when she refuted the idea that she's a traitor to her gender because she didn't support Hillary Clinton [as some "fans" of her show have said] and on the idea that she's only supporting Obama "because he's Black." Oprah said something like "I'm not supporting Barack Obama because he's Black, I'm supporting him because he's brilliant!" |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 03 Feb 08 - 11:59 PM Keep it moving on -- put him in and let him roll, godammit. And he is brilliant. A |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Azizi Date: 04 Feb 08 - 01:06 AM Amos, and others, if you've never seen an Al Rodgers photo diary, click on this hyperlink: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/3/23238/48095/261/449255 ROLL TIDE, ROLL by Al Rodgers Sun Feb 03, 2008 at 08:17:20 PM PST ** Al Rodgers is absolutely masterful in the way he embeds photos in his diaries [diaries are like Mudcat threads only there is a beginning comment-or in this case-photo journal-followed by other members' comments and/or post of videos, photos, hyperlinks]. The photos in this diary-provided in a slide show like format-are of Obama rallies in Delaware, San Francisco, St. Louis, NYC, and Los Angeles. Check it out! |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 04 Feb 08 - 08:12 AM ...if Barack Obama was a state, he'd be California I'm not sure I'd be too happy with that round my neck if I were Obama... ............................... Interesting piece by Gary Younge in today's Guardian. In this great meritocracy, only one thing matters: who is your daddy?: Making the point that one strong point form Obama is that he isn't part of one of America's royal families. "To change the political sclerosis gripping their country, Americans need a president distinguished by his lack of pedigree." But that even so, the dynastic character of the current system is demonstrated in the fact that backing from the Kennedies, and now from an Eisenhower, is seen as so significant for Obama's chances. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 04 Feb 08 - 10:45 AM Azizi!! THANK you so much for those pictures. They restore my trust in the American spirit. AFter the last eight years -- especially the last two elections -- I was beginning to feel jaded, cynical, and highly critical of my co-citizens. This guy is just what the doctor ordered. A |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 04 Feb 08 - 11:15 AM But doesn't he look vulnerable. Especially with all the "new Kennedy" allusions. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 04 Feb 08 - 11:21 AM He has a certain emotional coherence which is capable of feeling, but showing the strength of a person unafraid of his own feelings. Sensitive, but I would not say "vulnerable". That's on a personality level. As far as his political vulnerability, he is building enough grass roots enthusiasm that anyone who wanted tor un a Swift Boat campaign on him would have to do it very cleverly or end up looking like an idiot and a frothing reactionary. A |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: mg Date: 04 Feb 08 - 12:28 PM God help us all when the day comes we need a swift boat...as they came foreward to help in Katrina for example..and they say screw it..they have slandered us too much. mg |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Charley Noble Date: 04 Feb 08 - 12:33 PM Obama has won another celebrity endorsement, this time from Maria Shriver. Charley Noble |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 04 Feb 08 - 12:39 PM WARNING: THIS POST IS SATIRE,PARODY,AND HUMOR NOT INTENDED FOR MASS PUBLIC CREDENCE ************************************************************ Chelsea Sneaks Out, Declares for BarackChelsea Clinton, former First Daughter, held an unexpected press conference at 1:00 on the morning of February 2d, and announced she was throwing her support whole-heartedly behind Barack Obama's candidacy. "I love my mother, don't get me wrong," she told reporters at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport's confernece room, which she rented using her father's Master Card. "But she's like, so, like...I mean, she's such a 'rent!! The only thing hip about her is her waistline. I know she thinks she deserves to be President, but I am so like, "Whatever, Mom!". But I am crazy about Barack. He makes my heart flutter. And I think he would be a really, really awesome President for our country." Reporters were unable to get the details of Chelsea's household rebellion from her, but apparently she shinnied down a nearby pine tree from her second-story bed-room and rode her bike to the neareast Avis office, where she rented a car and drove to Kennedy airport, making calls on her cellphone to reserve last minute tickets, call the press conference, and reserve the conference room in DFW's huge airport. As far as can be determined, all these expenses are being paid for by her parents' credit card and Verizon accounts. Contacted by phone, her mother was irate at being raised from sleep at 5 in the morning. "Do you know what TIME it is?", she snarled at this reporter. "My daughter is upstairs in her bed, sleeping, as far as I know." This reporter had no further opportunity to offer the candidate an update on recent events. Oprah Winfrey told the press shortly after Chelsea's conference that she was "incredibly proud of this independent and strong minded young American woman." Chelsea's father had no comment when contact at his wife's campaign headquarters later this nmorning. *********************************************************************** WARNING: THE FOREGOING NEWS ARTICLE WAS FICTITIOUS. ANY RESEMBLANCE TO REAL INDIVIDUALS ALIVE OR DEAD IS PURELY COINCIDENTAL. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: artbrooks Date: 04 Feb 08 - 01:03 PM Well, I like Sen. Obama a lot, and don't like Sen. Clinton. On the other hand, I think she has more substance than he does. On the third hand, I didn't like President Clinton (and like him less now), but I thought he did a good job in the office. I guess I have about 24 hours to decide. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 04 Feb 08 - 01:30 PM Art: Put your back behind Barack; I am positive you will not regret it. A |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 04 Feb 08 - 02:42 PM I didn't mean politically vulnerable.... |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 04 Feb 08 - 02:48 PM MG: The slandering of a small number of swift-boat crew was incurred by the individuals themselves, because they chose to sell their integrity and their honesty to the highest bidder. in order to undermine John Kerry's character. It is unfortunate that the term came to be used for "any defamatory campaign involving false stories", but that accident of history can also be laid at the feet of those who decided the truth was less important than the ends. A |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 04 Feb 08 - 02:59 PM In this interesting display the NY Times shows individuals and newspapers who have endorsed candidates. Hillary has two more celebs of various kinds than Obama does endorsing her. But Obama has ten more newspapers endorsing him -- a much, much larger percentage lead in papers than she has in individual opinion-makers. It is certainly and interesting battle, isn't it? A |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: GUEST,mg Date: 04 Feb 08 - 03:04 PM Here is a good editorial. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/03/AR2008020302526.html |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 04 Feb 08 - 03:24 PM mg's link: Obama vs. the PhobocracyBy Michael Chabon Monday, February 4, 2008; 12:00 AM There are many reasons not to support Barack Obama's candidacy for president, but every one of them is bad for the same reason. Because I have come out publicly for the senator from Illinois, I am often called upon to listen as people offer up -- with wistfulness and regret, or with a pundit's show of certainty, or with a well-earned but useless skepticism -- their bad reasons for not giving Obama their support. For a long time now, I have listened to these people with forbearance and with a sense of duty -- not to some principle of open debate or of the inherent merit in the free exchange of even meritless ideas, but rather out of obligation to the candidate whose cause I champion. Because Obama appears to be a patient, forbearing man with a gift for listening, I figured I owed it to him to play the thing his way. So I have nodded and looked into their eyes and hummed sympathetically as people gave their reasons and made their excuses and generally offered up, as if they were golden ingots of profound wisdom, the handful of two-penny nails with which they plan to board up the windows of their hopes for themselves, their families, their country and the world. But now, with everything seeming to come down, at last, to the first Tuesday in February, and in the wake of an all-out, months-long push by the cynicism industry to cook up an entire line of bad reasons ready to heat and serve, I admit that I'm getting tired of listening to rationales from people who know that Obama is a remarkable, even an extraordinary politician, the kind who comes along, in this era of snakes and empty smiles, no more than once a generation. ... (See rest of article at above link). |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 04 Feb 08 - 03:39 PM Obama ...and DeNiro by John McCormick EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. With the team's home stadium nearby, Sen. Barack Obama today compared himself to the New York Giants in last night's Super Bowl. "Sometimes the underdog pulls it out. You can't always believe the pundits and prognosticators," Obama told those inside the IZOD Center at the Meadowlands during what was one of his flatter recent appearances. It was a line Obama's top strategist, David Axelrod, had already tried out on a few reporters early this morning before the campaign plane took off from Chicago's Midway Airport. In the audience here were former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley, who has endorsed Obama, and movie star Robert De Niro, a new endorser and someone the candidate said was of special interest to his Secret Service entourage. "Those guys never smile. They're always cool," Obama told a crowd his campaign said totaled about 4,500. "But I noticed when De Niro walks in, they're all like elbowing each other…They were excited." Speaking to the audience before Obama entered the room, De Niro said he is not used to giving political speeches. "I've never made a speech like this at a political event before," he said, interrupted by applause. "So, what am I doing here? I'm here because finally one person has inspired me. One person has given me hope. One person has made me believe that we can make a change." |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Amos Date: 04 Feb 08 - 04:15 PM From the Huffington Post: Obama's a Mac, Clinton's a PCPosted February 1, 2008 | 01:36 PM (EST) With John Edwards out of the race, Democratic voters must squarely confront a choice this election season every bit as stark as that facing millions of Americans each year as they replace their outdated computers: Mac or PC. We have all seen the ads, we know the right thing to do is to buy a Macintosh, but we hesitate. Will I be able to open all my PC files? Will it be able to run Outlook? Am I really going to make those photo albums and movies anyway? Am I cool enough for a Mac? Obama, like the Mac, seems almost too good to be true. He's young, hip, inspiring, and promising to do for Democrats what Ronald Reagan did for Republicans, assemble and maintain the working majority in Washington desperately needed to enact changes in foreign policy, health care and energy security. And in soaring moments at the podium -- at the Democratic Convention in 2004, in Iowa at the Jefferson/Jackson dinner, at Ebenezer Baptist over the Martin Luther King holiday weekend -- Obama appears ready and able to make good on these grand promises. But Democrats are still deeply divided. Having been in the political wilderness for much of the last 30 years, we are, understandably, a risk adverse bunch. We cling to Hillary like that old-reliable PC that we keep on our desks. We respond to her message: she's tested, able to handle every dirty trick Republicans will throw at her, ready on day one. All true, but there's also the darker side of the story. As the hipster in the Mac commercial loves to point out, a PC isn't actually all that reliable: reboot, reboot. We all experienced the rollercoaster ride that was the eight years of Bill Clinton's presidency: we should be confident in voting for Hillary only to expect the unexpected. And PC owners just try to forget about the whole "blue screen of death," melted hard drive thing, just like Democrats put Monica, impeachment and disbarment as far from their minds as possible as they contemplate pulling another voting lever for a presidential candidate named Clinton. Still, what if the alternative is worse? We think we know what we'll get with Hillary -- more of that '90s show -- and right now that doesn't seem bad. Plus no one is better at bare knuckles politics than the Clintons, and that may still be required to win the White House. What if Obama loses a foreign policy fight with John McCain, then where will we be. What if he can't navigate the slings and arrows of Washington, and ends up slinking back to Chicago in 2013 the way Jimmy Carter slunk back to Plains in 1981. No Democrat can afford that. But we can't afford another four years of Washington infighting where nothing gets done either. For me, Macintosh sealed the deal last week when they introduced that new paper-thin, feather-light laptop. After clunking around my 10 pound, 2 inch-thick Windows job for the last 8 years, enough is enough. Perhaps for Democrats, seeing Obama trounce Clinton in South Carolina -- after taking everything the Clintons' could throw his way -- will have a similar effect. The important difference, of course, is that even some very smart people use PCs, for various reasons. A |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Big Mick Date: 04 Feb 08 - 08:14 PM mg, I think the world of you and I really appreciate your stands for those of us who have served. But I must tell you, I was completely ashamed of those who, in their zeal to support a conservative, cast aspersions on an honorable man's honorable and heroic service. I cannot remember a time I was more disgusted at the lengths that some will go to for political gain. You did not have to like Kerry, I respect that. But to denigrate his service was reprehensible and without merit. It was one of the most dishonorable acts I have ever seen. Mick |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: mg Date: 04 Feb 08 - 09:47 PM I like Kerry well enough. I think the zeal came from true concern and true outrage that they had been painted, in testimony to congress, as committers of atrocities. There is more. I doubt it was for political gain origianlly, alhtough I intentially did not follow this as I was not there. I do not know what happened. I can only presume that everyone is telling the truth as he saw it. Lots happens in war. But to think they were all just doing this for political reasons or their comments were bought strikes me as delerious. They put their reputations on the line there and did it to prevent a man they had intimate knowledge of, at least some of them, from becoming president. There is something there but I am not going to delve into it. I will defend Kerry as much as I will defend them. I can't sort it out, simple as it seems to many people. mg |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: mg Date: 04 Feb 08 - 09:48 PM What I am trying to say is the zeal is not the zeal to support a conservative candidate but to prevent one, whom they deemed unworthy in their eyes for reasons of their own, from taking office. mg |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Little Hawk Date: 04 Feb 08 - 11:04 PM mg - It's possible, I suppose. (what you said) Some Vietnam veterans, despite giving very honorable service in combat, ended up bitterly opposing that war.....and they were naturally then at extreme odds with many other veterans who supported the war (as well as with the government and the high command). They probably all had what they felt were honorable intentions...but when people disagree on something like that then the falling out between them can become very bitter. And that leads to accusations and counter-accusations. It gets very nasty very fast...because EVERYONE involved feels so righteous in their position. There were definitely cases of American troops who tortured and summarily executed prisoners in Vietnam, violating the Geneva Accords...as has happened in some various wars too. Such things often can happen in a war, but if someone like John Kerry points out that it happened, then he will inevitably get attacked in turn by other service personnel who didn't see it happen and who think he is attacking the entire service, and by extension attacking them...rather than the actions of certain other individuals in the service who got out of control. They take it personally, in other words, when it wasn't aimed at them. We have had cases in Iraq also of US personnel who tortured and executed prisoners and committed atrocities, and there's no doubt about it. Some of them were charged. That doesn't mean that all US personnel in Iraq are thereby guilty by association. There's always a danger of such things happening, because an army is made of up many individuals, and when they are under great stress then some of them may break the rules. To expose it is not to attack the entire service, and I don't think that Kerry meant to attack the entire service, but some servicemen may have felt that he did just that. They would see him as a traitor...but someone who tells what he honestly believes is true is no traitor. He's a whistleblower. And an army and nation need people to blow the whistle when things get way out of hand. Otherwise, how can proper discipline and proper military conduct be maintained? |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: mg Date: 05 Feb 08 - 01:38 AM :No. Read my lips. They served with him and rightly or wrongly felt he was talking about them when he talked about atrocities he had witnessed.. Has nothing to do with the entire service, or what was going on in other parts of the country. They felt he was telling the world that they had committed atrocities. Them, not others. mg |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama From: Azizi Date: 05 Feb 08 - 07:00 AM Here's another Al Rodgers' photo essay of Obama rallies throughout the USA: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/5/01338/40451/512/450013 WELCOME TO THE REVOLUTION ( 2x Update) by Al Rodgers Mon Feb 04, 2008 at 09:13:38 PM PST -snip- It's not just that the technique of having multiple slide shows in a text format is so remarkable. It's also that the photos in the slide show are so interesting and are of such good quality. I'm not sure whether Al Rodgers took any or all of the photographers. But kudos to the him and/or to whoever the photographer/s is or are! |
