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Why use a club when you can use a stiletto?
*That* is my president speaking.
Consider the case of Hillary Clinton. All they needed to know about Obama was that he was this black guy. Just paint him as "the black guy," park your ass in the "states that matter" and the nomination is yours.
By the time they figured out this dude had run up the score on them (caucus states) to the point of no return, it was too late. They had lost the war.
Consider the case of the 2008 Republican Party. They think they can use racial appeals, dogwhistles and codes to get rid of Barack. Now Rudy and Sarah scoff at "community organizers" as unimportant.
Do they not realize a mere "community organizer" brought down the Clintons in 8 months when they've been trying to do that for the past 20 years?
Do they not realize they've insulted PTAs, Neighborhood Watches, Girl Scouts, Red Cross, Jerry's Kids, Special Olympics, civil rights workers, people fighting for women's rights, etc?
What is a political party, if not community organizing?
Sen Obama is running against John McCain. And Sen. Obama is playing to win! My suggestion is that if everyone on this blog goes out and registers 10 new voters, then we will all play a part in the 'master plan."
This is 50 different state elections. And each of you know your own state. The Obama campaign has been running in general election mode since March . . .. RELENTLESSLY registering voters, quietly, steadily, 1 by 1, 2 by 2, registering voters.
While I am not the one to have confidence in this racist country of ours, I DO have confidence that there is a masterplan at work. And Sen. Obama is the master planner.
Keep up the good work. Keep registering new voters. It's not the only thing, but it is a damn important part of the master plan. 1 by 1, 2 by 2....
I agree.
And also
It seems to be a popular thing to do in blogland at least -- people who are not part of the Obama campaign publicly telling the campaign what it should do. I have seen this over and over and over again. I don't usually follow elections this closely, so I don't know if this is a usual thing for people to do or if it is only happening with Senator Obama. In any case, I really don't understand what the point of it is. Does the campaign take strategy tips from blogs? Maybe so, I don't know.
Here's the thing I see. In the Obama campaign, we have an incredibly smart and very well-organized group of people who keep exceeding an ongoing cascade of expectations that this or that will sink the campaign, be disastrous etc. I have no doubt from what I have seen and read that this group of people has not only strategy and tactics, but a responsive and information-rich process of coming up with strategy and tactics.
I don't understand how people who are not part of this group have enough information whole picture in their planning and process to know what strategy and tactics would work.
As I write this I am realizing that I am probably taking these "this is what the Obama campaign should do" statements too literally. Maybe they're not attempts to contribute to the campaign's overall strategy and approach. Maybe they're more of a statement of where people who make these statements are at as supporters, and how the campaign and election dynamics are affecting them at the time. Or something like that.
It may also be that these kinds of statements provide information for the campaign, though they are so often a-contextual (presumably not related to whatever the bigger strategy picture is internal to the campaign) that I don't really know how that would work.
As for me I am getting more and more annoyed by this stuff as time goes on. Could just be part of election overload. Like I said I have never followed a candidate-election this closely ever, and certainly not a presidential one.
What it feels like to me is that people may not think Senator Obama and/or his campaign is actually competent to do what they are doing -- running a serious and success-focused bid for the US Presidency. I could be wrong but more and more it is feeling to me like lack of trust in their competence. Which doesn't seem justified to me, given their work so far.
My current meme is Gov Palin, Sen McCain meet Candidates McCain and Palin taken from Kerry's speech. bloggers are uncovering truth's faster than the campaign is and the only drawback is when it goes out nastier than the campaign calls for. Obama has already called for civility regarding the pregnant child w/ a reference to his own circumstances.
Lastly, the uncomfortablity everyone has is that, in the back of everyone AfricanAmerican and progressives elsewhere, no wants a martyr. No Moses no Malcolm No Martin No Kennedy No way No how! So the quietness is disturbing
You didn't disappoint in the least.
If Sarah Palin wants to be a "pitbull", well then it's time to put the bitch down and send her master to the old folks home.
biden could have done better from what i heard. he still has much time.
i agree with those who say O has proven his strategy with results. he's the nominee. all that "fighting" from hillary drove her negatives through the roof. O has to beware that because he can't afford high negatives. he'll really become the angry black man then.
david plouffe's letter led me to believe team O is going all the way. the immediate fact check dispatch too.
The agent of political/institutional change must be unwavering in his/her ethics, have unflappable integrity and comport himself/herself with dignity and grace, representing our highest aspirations for ourselves. True leadership reflects the highest ideals of the group it leads.
If we want ethical, effective leadership, a change from this 8year morass, we must adhere to a higher code ourselves and demand it of our representatives. This higher code demands truth, honor and courage, we must practice the politics of love and justice, even when the opposition does not.
We cannot allow the opposition to simply run over us either, however that does not mean that we strike out at them maliciously, but rather, correcting their errors, whether they be errors of ignorance or outright lies, and follow up that correction by redirecting the argument back to relevant, constructive discourse. This is the new politics, this is the essence of the change we seek. This strategy is based on the "turn the other cheek" philosophy of a mutual friend of Sen. Obama and me. I have faith that Sen. Obama knows this simple campaign strategem and will employ it to win in November.
Don't you think the Clinton drama played to our benefit? How many people (esp. women) watched her speech last week to see what she would do because of the insane buildup? I think the Republicans were fools playing that up and the Dems smart to let it keep building -- Hillary nailed it for us and sprung that trap on their ass.
Lot of mind games going on out there. Hard not to get played :)
The more I look back at the Dem's speeches last week, the happier I am with the contrast. We have something that wasn't around 8 years ago: YouTube. The convention's not playing out in real time. People can go back and do the comparison for themselves. They're not ALL that stupid.
They're predicting that McCain will be in "Happy Warrior" mode instead of "Angry Warrior" mode tonight. I'm sick of warriors. I want a leader.
i tuned in last night to give the woman a chance, since she hadn't really said a damn thing before getting up there. but, the snarky and near vulgar attitude toward obama was horrific. if the republicans can claim that attacks on palin's experience as sexism, obama should be pulling the race card out. those goppers all have him in their minds as "uppity" with this experience BS.
the perfect person to take palin's knees out is hillary. she's kept her big mouth shut on this because she's eyeing 2012 and 2016, but someone from the obama-biden campaign needs to get her onto the sunday talk shows QUICK.
and the attacks on mccain's demeanor and surliness need to begin. obama MUST get under his skin during the debates and get mccain to lash out - as he is apt to do when he's off script.
we need to see some fight from the democrats. they need to show strength, since they keep getting called pansies. rising above it is great, but at some point, you need to shut it down.
I know, heartbeat away from the presidency, but McCain is the candidate to focus on--he is one big contradiction.
But he's not running against Palin. He's running against McCain.
He must keep his attacks focused on McCain.
The Republicans want this to be a Hillary vs. Barack redux because they think the woman will win the second time around.
Barack can't take the bait.
It would be suicide.
Let the women of the Democratic party, like Sebelius and Wasserman Schultz did today, attack her record.
Gergen concurs....he says Barack doesn't want to create a situation where every time she says something, he responds, and then Barack becomes equated with her....while McCain floats above it all. Gergen says this is something you never want to happen. I agree. I feel as if the negative energy from last night has been neutralized by Obama/Biden's "gentle" response.
She threw her best shot, and no one gave a damn.
For a polling perspective only Republican women are moving toward Palin and poll was taken before Her speech last night.
http://www.pollster.com/blogs/omero_the_palin_e...
Now that Barack knows what to expect from his opponent, I say: let him fight his fight. He's proven that he knows how to win. Even though Clinton lasted all 12 rounds, Barack still beat her unanimously. And as we know by now, McCain and Palin are NOT the Clintons.
Senator Obama knows what he is doing he has lead this thing so far so just sit back and let him work. Allow the man to be a leader he doesn't need everybody in his ear telling when to turn right and when to turn left. I trust his judgment. Everybody can get loud and aggressive that's easy it take a strong soul to sit back and plan wisely and strick when they think you're beaten.
Trust the O man he has been here before.
peace and guidance to all
http://www.vanityfair.com/online/politics/2008/...
Fake Soldiers Used In RNC Video
Patriotic Montage Shown At RNC Featured Actors Hired For One Day Shoot, Not Military
Sept. 4, 2008
CBS News Investigative Producer Michael Rey wrote this story for CBSNews.com.
It was a video that was supposed to elicit soaring patriotism and real emotions about the Pledge of Allegiance. But to do that, it used fake soldiers and a staged military funeral instead of the real thing.
On Tuesday night, 15-year-old Victoria Blackstone, a sophomore at the St. Agnes School in St. Paul, led the crowd at the Xcel Energy Center in the Pledge of Allegiance. The audience heard her 434-word essay, “Pledging myself to the Flag of the United States of America,” an essay she’d entered it in the “Wave the Stars & Stripes” essay contest and won. The RNC turned that essay into a three and a half minute video, a visually stirring montage rolling over Victoria’s words about sharing the Pledge with Americans who have stood at important moments in history.
There’s the Continental Congress…A real WWII vet…Photos of workers at Ground Zero. A close-up of a folded flag presented to a grieving widow at a military funeral… profiles of soldiers swelling with pride in slo-motion.
But CBS News found that the footage of the ‘funeral’ and soldiers is what is called ‘stock’ footage. The soldiers were actors and the funeral scene was from a one-day film shoot, produced in June. No real soldiers were used during production.
The footage, sold by stock-film house Getty Images was produced by a commercial filmmaker in Chicago. Both Getty and the production company, Mr. Big Films, confirmed that the footage was shot on spec and sold to the Republican National Committee.
One of the actors, Perry Denton of Chicago, IL also confirmed that he was hired on a day-rate as an actor for the shoot and told CBS News he was surprised to learn the footage was shown at the convention.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/westmorelan...
GOP Georgia congressman calls Barack and Michelle Obama "uppity." When asked to clarify, he said yeah, they're uppity.
Great post.
On a conference call for reporters with the DNC
Along with Florida Congressman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (staunch Clinton supporter) and a whole bunch of folks
This afternoon, the McCain campaign issued a Palin fundraising solicitation for the joint McCain-Palin-RNC fund. (After this week, McCain no longer can raise money after accepting $84.1 million in public funds, but the Republican National Committee and state parties can.)
"I cannot tell you how special last night was for me and how enthused I am to be John McCain's running mate," Palin said in the email solicitation, adding: "Unfortunately, as you've seen this week, the Obama/Biden Democrats have been vicious in their attacks directed toward me, my family and John McCain. The misinformation and flat-out lies must be corrected."
Unless we're mistaken, neither Obama nor Biden nor the campaign has attacked Palin's family. In fact, Obama said this after it was revealed that Palin's 17-year-old daughter is pregnant: "I have said before and I will repeat again: I think people’s families are off limits, and people’s children are especially off limits. This shouldn’t be part of our politics, it has no relevance to governor Palin’s performance as a governor or her potential performance as a vice president. And so I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories."
Reached for comment about the charge, RNC spokesman Danny Diaz cited a comment Obama's Florida spokesman made noting (incorrectly, it seems) that Palin supported Pat Buchanan, whom Jews -- at least according to this spokesman -- have called a "Nazi sympathizer."
But Diaz didn't cite a single Obama or Biden charge against Palin's family.
*** UPDATE *** Obama spokesman Bill Burton fires off this email in response to this story: “The only ‘flat-out lie’ is this ridiculous claim, and it proves that John McCain has wasted no time in teaching Sarah Palin the ways of the Washington he’s inhabited for the last twenty-six years. The continued dishonesty and divisiveness from John McCain’s campaign has made a complete mockery of the reform and bipartisanship he’ll boast about tonight, and it’s not the change we need to bring this country together around an agenda to create new jobs, cut taxes for middle-class families, and make us independent of foreign oil."
This afternoon, the McCain campaign issued a Palin fundraising solicitation for the joint McCain-Palin-RNC fund. (After this week, McCain no longer can raise money after accepting $84.1 million in public funds, but the Republican National Committee and state parties can.)
"I cannot tell you how special last night was for me and how enthused I am to be John McCain's running mate," Palin said in the email solicitation, adding: "Unfortunately, as you've seen this week, the Obama/Biden Democrats have been vicious in their attacks directed toward me, my family and John McCain. The misinformation and flat-out lies must be corrected."
Unless we're mistaken, neither Obama nor Biden nor the campaign has attacked Palin's family. In fact, Obama said this after it was revealed that Palin's 17-year-old daughter is pregnant: "I have said before and I will repeat again: I think people’s families are off limits, and people’s children are especially off limits. This shouldn’t be part of our politics, it has no relevance to governor Palin’s performance as a governor or her potential performance as a vice president. And so I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories."
Reached for comment about the charge, RNC spokesman Danny Diaz cited a comment Obama's Florida spokesman made noting (incorrectly, it seems) that Palin supported Pat Buchanan, whom Jews -- at least according to this spokesman -- have called a "Nazi sympathizer."
But Diaz didn't cite a single Obama or Biden charge against Palin's family.
*** UPDATE *** Obama spokesman Bill Burton fires off this email in response to this story: “The only ‘flat-out lie’ is this ridiculous claim, and it proves that John McCain has wasted no time in teaching Sarah Palin the ways of the Washington he’s inhabited for the last twenty-six years. The continued dishonesty and divisiveness from John McCain’s campaign has made a complete mockery of the reform and bipartisanship he’ll boast about tonight, and it’s not the change we need to bring this country together around an agenda to create new jobs, cut taxes for middle-class families, and make us independent of foreign oil."
This afternoon, the McCain campaign issued a Palin fundraising solicitation for the joint McCain-Palin-RNC fund. (After this week, McCain no longer can raise money after accepting $84.1 million in public funds, but the Republican National Committee and state parties can.)
"I cannot tell you how special last night was for me and how enthused I am to be John McCain's running mate," Palin said in the email solicitation, adding: "Unfortunately, as you've seen this week, the Obama/Biden Democrats have been vicious in their attacks directed toward me, my family and John McCain. The misinformation and flat-out lies must be corrected."
Unless we're mistaken, neither Obama nor Biden nor the campaign has attacked Palin's family. In fact, Obama said this after it was revealed that Palin's 17-year-old daughter is pregnant: "I have said before and I will repeat again: I think people’s families are off limits, and people’s children are especially off limits. This shouldn’t be part of our politics, it has no relevance to governor Palin’s performance as a governor or her potential performance as a vice president. And so I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories."
Reached for comment about the charge, RNC spokesman Danny Diaz cited a comment Obama's Florida spokesman made noting (incorrectly, it seems) that Palin supported Pat Buchanan, whom Jews -- at least according to this spokesman -- have called a "Nazi sympathizer."
But Diaz didn't cite a single Obama or Biden charge against Palin's family.
*** UPDATE *** Obama spokesman Bill Burton fires off this email in response to this story: “The only ‘flat-out lie’ is this ridiculous claim, and it proves that John McCain has wasted no time in teaching Sarah Palin the ways of the Washington he’s inhabited for the last twenty-six years. The continued dishonesty and divisiveness from John McCain’s campaign has made a complete mockery of the reform and bipartisanship he’ll boast about tonight, and it’s not the change we need to bring this country together around an agenda to create new jobs, cut taxes for middle-class families, and make us independent of foreign oil."
She made serving your community sound like being on welfare and I won't allow that.
Someone should remind old girl that if Alaska seceeds, no more government pork for them. That's the only reason they stay in the union, even though Canada geographically separates them from the lower 48.
Someone should also ask why didn't Canada attach Alaska as a province before America put her claim on them? I have relatives who live in that SOB and helped build all those damned oil pipelines (when the work dried up in the lower 48 back in the 40s and 50s, the brothas took off for Alaska to find work), and I'm wondering what they must be thinking sending this heifer onto McCain's ticket (if they had a choice, that is).
Good comments, all.
http://essence.typepad.com/news/2008/09/do-comm...
1) Who are the Republicans going to reform when they come back to Washingtion if they win? They speak as if its the Liberal Media and their cohorts are the ones who need to be upended, but the REpublicans have been in power for 8 years. It's speaking out of both sides of their mouths to talk about kicking out the bad guys (the republicans and the Liberal news/media people.) Call 'em on it.
How many liberal talk shows and "news" networks are there? Anyone think of any but msnbc?
Which big energy companies are McCAin and Palin going to whip into shape? The one's whose representativew were loaded by George Bush into those awfull government regulatory agencies? You know the ones the Republican's have been complaining about so much, like the AEC, or the Food and Drug Agency which was loaded with Pharmeceutical Company people by Bush. Do you really think John and Sarah are for reform? Or is it just separation from Bush?
2) Teen pregnancy. You will remember that Obama talked about unwanted teen pregnancy and seeing about starting with what we agree on. Anyone hear any interest by Palin on leading the whole country?
And isn't this exactly the problem with right to lifers? they are adamant about newly conseived embryos, but they leave their live children to solopsims like "Just so NO (to sex and well as drugs)." It's okay to have guns as long as you act responsibly, but its not okay to have sex as long as you act responsibly. Daughters and sons like Palin's still have sex as teens whether they are encouraged to act responsibly or not, and the sexually unprepared have more unplanned pregnancies.
Which party do you think likes women to stay home and take care of the kids more?
How long do you think even the most R-biased reporters are going to put up with that??
Nobody believes this most profound decision rests on a blog post, and nobody gives a damn.
P.S
PUMAS are irrelevant and if you are still a "Black Republican" after this week after hearing someone call Obama "uppity" you have a serious identity issue......and I do mean SERIOUS!
How can we continue to make the same mistakes, over and over???? What is wrong with us? More importantly, how do we get through to this deeply misguided campaign?
I have written over 30 emails to the campaign, many quite vitriolic, on this exact topic. But I have little hope any will be read. I just don't know what else to do.