We had our final conference call before the primary tonight as well. Our leader, Buffy Wicks, the California Field Director, got a little emotional at the tail end of the call. She was awed and humbled by the level of energy and enthusiasm displayed by the volunteers, and we could hear it in her voice.
The California field operation has been amazing, with just the right mix of guidance and support to allow us volunteers to work our magic. This has been a true grass roots movement, in the great democratic spirit of all that that means. People are striking up conversations in the street with each other about The Issues! People are talking, but more importantly, they are listening. I frequently hear of high school students who can't yet vote, asking for how they can volunteer.
That's something to be proud of, and definitely something worth getting emotional over!
If this hasn't been done yet in other states, it will be. And it will be the reason why Obama will be President in January!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Predictions from the Center of the Bubble
My brother, who lives a few blocks away from me in Oakland, often says that we live in a bubble in a bubble in a bubble. By that he means that the Berkeley/Oakland/Piedmont area, which is in the Bay Area, which is in California, is not like the rest of the country.
Of course, he's right. Oakland is the most diverse city in the country. Our congressional rep, Barbara Lee, is the most liberal in all of congress. Mixed race and same sex couples are so common place that they warrant nary a second glance, much less any discussion. The major city in the area (San Fran) pays for the sex change operations of it employees for goodness sakes. And we think all of this is "normal."
Still, it's hard to ignore that the support for Obama borders on ecstatic, while the support for Clinton seems tepid at best. At Obama visibility events (where a small group of supporters stand around waving signs), passers-by honk and wave with wild enthusiasm. By contrast, the one visibility event for Clinton that I have seen was greeted with polite indifference. I almost felt bad for the guy and his two young children who were waving Clinton '08 signs. They seemed earnest in their support, but everyone around them pretended that they weren't there. I almost felt bad enough for them to honk. Almost.
Against that backdrop, I give you my predictions. Obama is going to carry the Barbara Lee's district (the East Bay) overwhelmingly. He's going to carry California convincingly (the only fly in that ointment might be the early absentee votes, which may have swung Hillary’s way). He's going to get win the popular vote on Super Tuesday by enough of a margin that the super delegates, many of whom had been supporting Clinton, are going to swing the nomination his way.
On the Republican side, McCain will also take it.
By Wednesday, it is going to be pretty clear that the general election will be Obama-McCain
Of course, he's right. Oakland is the most diverse city in the country. Our congressional rep, Barbara Lee, is the most liberal in all of congress. Mixed race and same sex couples are so common place that they warrant nary a second glance, much less any discussion. The major city in the area (San Fran) pays for the sex change operations of it employees for goodness sakes. And we think all of this is "normal."
Still, it's hard to ignore that the support for Obama borders on ecstatic, while the support for Clinton seems tepid at best. At Obama visibility events (where a small group of supporters stand around waving signs), passers-by honk and wave with wild enthusiasm. By contrast, the one visibility event for Clinton that I have seen was greeted with polite indifference. I almost felt bad for the guy and his two young children who were waving Clinton '08 signs. They seemed earnest in their support, but everyone around them pretended that they weren't there. I almost felt bad enough for them to honk. Almost.
Against that backdrop, I give you my predictions. Obama is going to carry the Barbara Lee's district (the East Bay) overwhelmingly. He's going to carry California convincingly (the only fly in that ointment might be the early absentee votes, which may have swung Hillary’s way). He's going to get win the popular vote on Super Tuesday by enough of a margin that the super delegates, many of whom had been supporting Clinton, are going to swing the nomination his way.
On the Republican side, McCain will also take it.
By Wednesday, it is going to be pretty clear that the general election will be Obama-McCain
Friday, February 1, 2008
Bill as First Spouse
Let me first say that I have always been a big fan of Bill Clinton. I've always thought of him, affectionaltely, as our first Black President.
Until recently, my biggest beef with Bill Clinton is that he didn't tell the Supreme Court to go, ummm..., enjoy themselves, when they commanded him to give depositions in the Paula Jones case. I would have loved to hear him say "this is a civil case that can be heard after I am finished being President of the United States of America, and if you have a problem with that, you can lock me up for being in contempt of court." But that's a whole nuther blog.
I'm also a realist in that I understand that when an amazingly talented individual like Bill Clinton, goes into Public Service, they are going to get rich. That's supposed to happen AFTER the public service is over. And that's OK.
So Bill Clinton presents a unique problem. His career as an elected official is over. And by all accounts, he is working his former presidency pretty well, and getting very wealthy in the process. Nothing to be ashamed of really. So he makes a few calls, he connects some people and facilitates some deals, he gets paid. That's how it works.
But what happens when the deals that he facilitates are not so good for the country? What happens if, for his personal gain, he cozies up to the head of state of a country that is such an abuser of human rights and that even our current government has qualms about it?
Now I hear you saying, "our Bill wouldn't do such a thing, he's a man of the people." Read this article in the New York Times (which endorsed Hillary by the way) that details how Bill Clinton bestowed some of his positive PR on the government of Kazakhstan to help a friend land a very lucrative Uranium mining deal. And yes, that friend later gave Bill's foundation over $30 million.
Scarier still is that Bill maintains that he will continue to raise money for his foundation if Hillary is elected president.
There's a reason why we have a two term limit, and this is it. Entrenched power is a corrupting influence. It always has been and always will be. And you can't give money to one spouse without also giving it to the other. Bill Clinton as First Spouse would be a very bad idea. It gives the 'vast right wing conspiracy' more ability to continue their shenangins. It gives shadowy special interests a huge, but secret, back door to the white house. It means more gridlock creating scandal.
It's time for change. You can't create change with more of the same old politics, the same old politicians, and more of the same old 'wink and nudge behind closed doors' games.
We need new leadership. And we need it now. Please vote on Tuesday!
Until recently, my biggest beef with Bill Clinton is that he didn't tell the Supreme Court to go, ummm..., enjoy themselves, when they commanded him to give depositions in the Paula Jones case. I would have loved to hear him say "this is a civil case that can be heard after I am finished being President of the United States of America, and if you have a problem with that, you can lock me up for being in contempt of court." But that's a whole nuther blog.
I'm also a realist in that I understand that when an amazingly talented individual like Bill Clinton, goes into Public Service, they are going to get rich. That's supposed to happen AFTER the public service is over. And that's OK.
So Bill Clinton presents a unique problem. His career as an elected official is over. And by all accounts, he is working his former presidency pretty well, and getting very wealthy in the process. Nothing to be ashamed of really. So he makes a few calls, he connects some people and facilitates some deals, he gets paid. That's how it works.
But what happens when the deals that he facilitates are not so good for the country? What happens if, for his personal gain, he cozies up to the head of state of a country that is such an abuser of human rights and that even our current government has qualms about it?
Now I hear you saying, "our Bill wouldn't do such a thing, he's a man of the people." Read this article in the New York Times (which endorsed Hillary by the way) that details how Bill Clinton bestowed some of his positive PR on the government of Kazakhstan to help a friend land a very lucrative Uranium mining deal. And yes, that friend later gave Bill's foundation over $30 million.
Scarier still is that Bill maintains that he will continue to raise money for his foundation if Hillary is elected president.
There's a reason why we have a two term limit, and this is it. Entrenched power is a corrupting influence. It always has been and always will be. And you can't give money to one spouse without also giving it to the other. Bill Clinton as First Spouse would be a very bad idea. It gives the 'vast right wing conspiracy' more ability to continue their shenangins. It gives shadowy special interests a huge, but secret, back door to the white house. It means more gridlock creating scandal.
It's time for change. You can't create change with more of the same old politics, the same old politicians, and more of the same old 'wink and nudge behind closed doors' games.
We need new leadership. And we need it now. Please vote on Tuesday!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Endorsements from Camelot
By now, we've all already heard the big news about the endorsements from the Kennedy family. Caroline Kennedy (JFK's daughter) made a huge splash by writing an Op-Ed piece in the New York Times. Ted Kennedy announced his endorsement Monday in a speech at American University, the same location where John Kennedy announced the formation of the Peace Corp.
One of the things that I liked about Ted Kennedy's endorsement is that while he certainly places himself strongly in the Obama camp, he also points out that Hillary Clinton and John Edwards are good and worthy presidential candidates. And that he will vigorously support whoever gets the Democratic nomination. Amen!
As talented as Ted and John Kennedy are/were, I'm told that Robert Kennedy was the most inspirational of all of the Kennedy brothers. That RFK was the one that truly inspired people across all lines, generational, ethnic, class and race. Since I've heard that from a few people who were actually directly inspired the man, I'll give Ethel Kennedy, Bobby's widow, the last words:
see whole article here
One of the things that I liked about Ted Kennedy's endorsement is that while he certainly places himself strongly in the Obama camp, he also points out that Hillary Clinton and John Edwards are good and worthy presidential candidates. And that he will vigorously support whoever gets the Democratic nomination. Amen!
As talented as Ted and John Kennedy are/were, I'm told that Robert Kennedy was the most inspirational of all of the Kennedy brothers. That RFK was the one that truly inspired people across all lines, generational, ethnic, class and race. Since I've heard that from a few people who were actually directly inspired the man, I'll give Ethel Kennedy, Bobby's widow, the last words:
“I think he feels it. He feels it just like Bobby did,” Mrs. Kennedy said in an interview that day, comparing her late husband’s quest for social justice to Mr. Obama’s. “He has the passion in his heart. He’s not selling you. It’s just him.”
see whole article here
Sunday, January 27, 2008
What You Can Do
A friend and fellow Obama supporter asked me today how she could help. Given how many calls I need to make, the answer is easy, help me make some calls! But she's busy and she travels a lot, so even making phone calls from a list can be difficult.
So here's my suggestion: be the change that Senator Obama is inspring us to be. Start the difficult political conversations with your friends, neighbors, coworkers. Especially if they support someone else.
When they talk, LISTEN! Don't just wait for them to stop moving their lips so you can make a couner point, listen for what they really care about, what they are afraid of. See the situation from their perspective. Tell them why you support Senator Obama, but do so in a way that respects their issues as well as your own.
No matter who wins this primary election, we have our work cut out for us in this country. But if we can work with our neighbors, even when we disagree, then we can accomplish anything.
So here's my suggestion: be the change that Senator Obama is inspring us to be. Start the difficult political conversations with your friends, neighbors, coworkers. Especially if they support someone else.
When they talk, LISTEN! Don't just wait for them to stop moving their lips so you can make a couner point, listen for what they really care about, what they are afraid of. See the situation from their perspective. Tell them why you support Senator Obama, but do so in a way that respects their issues as well as your own.
No matter who wins this primary election, we have our work cut out for us in this country. But if we can work with our neighbors, even when we disagree, then we can accomplish anything.
More Obama on Israel
The following is the text of a letter that Senator Obama wrote to our Ambassador to the UN, Zalmay Khalilzad.
As I've said before, it's not so much that Senator Obama always has the all right positions (I think that he almost always does), it's that he has the approach which enables him to arrive at the right position. His approach values the lives of all people, takes into account the current reality on the ground, and seeks to move it towards justice for everyone.
In Israel, I think most observers would grant that the daily life of the average Israeli is better than the daily life of the average citizen of the Gaza strip. But that's not the same as saying that Israelis are bad and Palestinians are good. It's more complex than that. And it's extraordinarily difficult, when missiles are landing on your home, to do anything other than to lash out. While I personally think that there is more that can be done to make the situation on the grond better for the average Palestinian, it's mighty difficult for Israelis to do anything other than retaliate, as long as missiles are landing on their homes.
Dear Ambassador Khalilzad,
I understand that today the UN Security Council met regarding the situation in Gaza, and that a resolution or statement could be forthcoming from the Council in short order.
I urge you to ensure that the Security Council issue no statement and pass no resolution on this matter that does not fully condenm the rocket assault Hamas has been conducting on civilians in southern Israel...
All of us are concerned about the impact of closed border crossings on Palestinian families. However, we have to understand why Israel is forced to do this... Israel has the right to respond while seeking to minimize any impact on civilians.
The Security Council should clearly and unequivocally condemn the rocket attacks... If it cannot bring itself to make these common sense points, I urge you to ensure that it does not speak at all.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
United States Senator
As I've said before, it's not so much that Senator Obama always has the all right positions (I think that he almost always does), it's that he has the approach which enables him to arrive at the right position. His approach values the lives of all people, takes into account the current reality on the ground, and seeks to move it towards justice for everyone.
In Israel, I think most observers would grant that the daily life of the average Israeli is better than the daily life of the average citizen of the Gaza strip. But that's not the same as saying that Israelis are bad and Palestinians are good. It's more complex than that. And it's extraordinarily difficult, when missiles are landing on your home, to do anything other than to lash out. While I personally think that there is more that can be done to make the situation on the grond better for the average Palestinian, it's mighty difficult for Israelis to do anything other than retaliate, as long as missiles are landing on their homes.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Kucinich Support in Iowa Relevant in California
Here in Oakland/Berkeley part of California, where "Barbara Lee Speaks for Me", we have some pretty hard core liberals.
Just around the corner from me, at the Grand Lake Theater (a multiplex in a residental area of Oakland), the marquis is permanently emblazoned with a call to impeach President Bush.
So against that backdrop, it doesn't surprise me to find that some people that I call express a desire to vote for Kucinich. But they also know that in a race that is getting really tight, their vote for a protest candidate will forfeit their right to chose a viable one.
I am happy to point out to these voters that when it counted, and Kucinich had no reason to avoid endorsing another candidate, he picked Obama.
This is from the Kucinich campaign press release:
Amongst the most progressive voters, Kucinich's opinion matters.
Just around the corner from me, at the Grand Lake Theater (a multiplex in a residental area of Oakland), the marquis is permanently emblazoned with a call to impeach President Bush.
So against that backdrop, it doesn't surprise me to find that some people that I call express a desire to vote for Kucinich. But they also know that in a race that is getting really tight, their vote for a protest candidate will forfeit their right to chose a viable one.
I am happy to point out to these voters that when it counted, and Kucinich had no reason to avoid endorsing another candidate, he picked Obama.
This is from the Kucinich campaign press release:
"... But in those caucus locations where my support doesn't reach the necessary threshold, I strongly encourage all of my supporters to make Barack Obama their second choice. Sen. Obama and I have one thing in common: Change."
Amongst the most progressive voters, Kucinich's opinion matters.
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