The Way I See Things

So...
I'm a member of a group on the Barack Obama website--Cheltenham for Obama (PA)--that has recently advocated direct action to influence superdelegates.

Chairman Dean, Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid have been making public statements to superdelegates, encouraging them to declare support of a candidate.

The Cheltenham for Obama group recommended sending letters to newspapers urging superdelegates to declare support of a candidate, and even involving MoveOn.org.

I tell anyone that reads this, as i told them...
This is a great idea!
THIS IS A FANTASTIC IDEA!

I added that they could also consider coordinating that action with other groups here on My.BarackObama.com.

My suggestion was:
If a bunch of groups here got together, agreed on a letter, then organized some sort of action...
Like...
Each group's members going to the post office, on the same day, to have their letters postmarked.

I think it would make a pretty impressive--and newsworthy--statement if, say, 100 people showed up at, oh, 100's of post offices around the country, at the same time (a Saturday morning at 9am, perhaps), to mail their letters to superdelegates.

Impressive indeed, I think.

If people are concerned about finding an accurate list of uncommitted superdelegates, here's the address to Senator Obama's Senate office in DC:
713 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Web contact form

I bet they'd know...

I definitely agree there needs to be some sort of mobilization that overcomes superdelegate resistance. I wonder if some of the superdelegates--perhaps House Democrats up for election/reelection this November--think it's safer to wait before making a decision. Maybe they have a perception that waiting will bring along a more stable environment. If so, maybe they need some other incentives.
Perhaps threat of a write-in vote?

And, as I've written before, I think it would be instructive and a clear example of strong leadership, if Chairman Dean, Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid would take their own advice--AS SUPERDELEGATES--and also declare a candidate. Chairman Dean will appear on "Meet The Press", Sunday, April 27, 2008, 10:30am ET. Perhaps Mr. Russert might ask him which candidate he supports. And, if he declines to answer, Mr. Russert might ask why. Here's the link to the "Meet the Press" Contact Form.

---

Governor Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee (The Democratic Party)
Democratic National Committee (web contact page)
430 S. Capitol St. SE
Washington, DC 20003
(202) 863-8000

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the United States House of Representative
Office of the Speaker (web contact form)
H-232, US Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-0100

Senator Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader
528 Hart Senate Office Building (web contact form)
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3542
Fax: (202) 224-7327
Toll Free for Nevadans: (866) SEN-REID (736-7343) - Restricted to calls originating from area codes 775 and 702

This post is really meant for Senator Obama's campaign staff, and this is the only direct mechanism I know for contacting them...
(And I will have a bit more to say about the debate later.)

However, for now...
PinMart.com is selling Flag Pins (B1G1; BoGo; Buy 1 Get 1; however you'd like to describe it) for $3.95 + $3.85 S/H on any size order.

TOTAL
$7.80...
2 pins...
Delivered.

* And the price per pin drops in quantity (only $2.99 for 7 to 11 pins).

I completely support the statement Senator Obama is trying to make by not wearing a flag pin (Summary of why Senator Obama Chooses Not to Wear Flag Pin As Statement of True Patriotism/Iraq War Statement); however...

A flag pin is not worth the loss of a single vote.

I will say it again:
A...
Flag...
Pin...
IS NOT...
Worth...
The Loss...
Of...
A...
SINGLE...
VOTE.

For the staff, I also recommend someone get online and reserve...
flagpinwatch
.com;
.net &;
.org.

I checked before I posted this entry and those domain names were still available.

Then you can post pictures of Senator Obama wearing his flag pins. You can take pictures of him wearing the pins that active duty personnel, veterans and others gave to him to wear. And...
You can keep track of every, single, day he wears a flag pin from now...
Until his last day in office...
January 20th...
2017.

This simple act will net the campaign more positive publicity--more pervasive, far-reaching publicity--and remove this as an issue of controversy far more persuasively than a month of speeches.

(And, while you're at it, you might consider snatching up...
notamuslim
.com;
.net &;
.org.)

POINT #1:
In contrast to previous debates, there are some technical issues Senator Obama needs to address. Now, ABC has already committed to more aggressive moderating and Senator Obama needs to make sure they follow through. Senator Clinton has previously attempted to monopolize the discussion of issues.

This behavior has to be halted.

If she starts to undermine the proceedings, Senator Obama needs to intervene and explain...
The debate is NOT a Clinton Campaign Commercial.

Voters/viewers think many of the issues are equally important. Health care is important if an economy exists where people can feed themselves and their families. The economy is important if people feel secure about their jobs; their homes; and a sense of fairness in who is taxed--who contributes to the operation of their government--and how.. National security is important if people feel like they have a government that values their priorities and concerns.

POINT #2:
The issue of Credibility is paramount in this dialogue...
There's a clear and qualitative distinction between making a mistake and/or poorly chosen words versus...
Fabricating a falsehood into a truth.

The point here would be to allude to Bosnia but--Really, Actually--the focus would be on...
The characterization of Senator Obama as an elitist.
Yes.
Bait and switch.
Regardless, whichever she assumes, she will have to address one, if not both, issues.

And in this component of character there is a clear contrast between himself, and Senators Clinton and McCain and President Bush.

Senator Obama has been forthcoming and earnest about not only his own mistakes but those of his staff, surrogates and personal allies/friends that are not involved in campaign policy/decision making. He has not lied about Senator Clinton. He has not tried to portray her inaccurately. Accuracy actually serves to better highlight their differences--and he could even say her deficiencies (even though he's probably too diplomatic to do so)--well enough that he has no need to resort to...
The underhanded tactics she's chosen.

And to clarify, those tactics are--at least--framing Senator McCain as more qualified than another Democrat, and trying to define Senator Obama as an elitist.

POINT #3:
When he speaks about his San Francisco/Pennsylvania comments, he should--once again--apologize for the mistake in choice of words, then...
He should make his central theme very clear...
That...
Without hope...
Without change...
Without feeling like what they do contributes to a better America for all...
People who don't feel disenfranchised...
Choose either...
1) Apathy, disinterest and non-participation...
OR...
2) Cast their votes in support of things that are familiar to them.

Things such as:
* Who best represents the tenets of their religion...
* Who sounds/looks most like I do...
* Who protects their jobs from illegal immigrants...
* Who protects their tangible rights, like their right to keep their gun...

Because, if that candidate wins, they will feel they accomplished something...
Despite...
* The investment in corporate interests/special interests/lobbyists they feel control Congress...
* The escalating corporate profits concomitant with the increase in food prices & gas prices, and the sacrifices those entail in how people feed their families, the activities available to them...
* The loss of home values while the government invests tens of billions to rescue financial institutions in which they have no investment...
* The loss of jobs across all sectors...
* The horrendous debt that college entails, while those financing that debt bask in, once again, record profits...
* The consent of those that have been serving in Congress, who've done nothing with their power except enable these conditions...

Because...
* They have no hope that they can change those things...
* They have no hope that anyone in any branch of government cares about changing those things.

Senator Obama's campaign is solely about everyone working together to...
Create Hope And Change.

And, once again, I reiterate that Senator Obama should explain that while he was interpreting the words, feelings, substance of what he heard in Pennsylvania--and also how he thinks HE would feel if he were in their position (he should Emphasize His Empathy); he should also apologize for not asking Those Pennsylvanians how they would like to be described.

POINT #4
Senator Obama can make a strong and bold case that he isn't running as an opportunity to, possibly, amass...
Another...
$100+ million after his time in office.
He can make a strong and bold case that the only elitism he practices...
That which is incontrovertibly distinct from his opponents...
Is that which betters all of America.
Not just the Americans he knows.

POINT #5:
Senator Obama also needs to reinforce that he is a parent. A parent of young children. Not children who can fight and fend for themselves. That he has the concerns of a parent. About what type of economic, environmental and global citizenship/national security landscape awaits them. As a parent he thinks about the little girls whose parents are fighting, all over the world, for the security of our nation. And is that a noble and honorable endeavor. You can call him elitist all you'd like but he's thinking about the daughters that, like his own, did not grow up in mansions--governor's mansions or the White Houses or otherwise--and how to make their lives better.

POINT #6:
Senator Clinton stated that she was concerned about the Democratic Party but she's already proven she has no compunctions about eviscerating it, in allying herself with Republican Party interests (and even now with Senator Obama's San Francisco comments, she and Senator McCain sound eerily similar), to win the nomination.


MINOR CONCERNS:
* He can address the 'Duck Blind' and 'Annie Oakley' comments and state they were not connected. My interpretation was Senator Obama was referring to hunting in the former; and Senator Clinton as a 2nd Amendment affirming, gun carrying proponent in the latter. This is logical and sensible which, as he's proven, fits Senator Obama's character.

HUMOR
* I wish one of the moderators would come out with a penny, flip it into the air, and invite Senator Clinton to shoot it out of the air.
* Senator Obama could also tell Senator Clinton he feels safer sitting next to her, given her marksmanship skills, but hopes she hasn't had to many to drink before coming to the debate.
* Senator Obama could give Senator Clinton a gift prior to the debate: A bottle of Crown Royal.

That's my 'Armchair Strategist's' view.

And make no mistake...
It was a mistake.

People can rant and rail that his statements were taken out of context. And, indeed, I read the transcript and would agree...
Senator Obama is being framed.
HOWEVER...
I also think he should've...
Chosen his words Much more carefully.
But what's done is now done.

It was a grievous error and is now a potential meltdown site for Senator Obama's Pennsylvania Primary hopes...
But...
It is also...
Fixable.

I suggest 2 things:
1) This issue stabs straight into the heart of credibility matter. And Senator Clinton decided to speak out against Senator Obama, amplifying a message that was centrally placed into an absolutely wrong context. This makes it an issue for...
Debate.

Senator Obama can challenge Senator Clinton to prove--show the substance of--her disparaging remarks at the debate.

Senator Clinton, once again, is put into a position to compare her statements--where she 'misspoke', and its context--versus Senator Obama and what he has said and its context. Both she and President Clinton are quick to condemn and judge the unfairness of the media--it's 'double standard--when it works to their advantage. But they seem even more eager to leverage that same 'unfairness' when it benefits them.

She should be made to take a stand on her opportunism.

Obviously...
This is a point she CANNOT win.

Also, Pennsylvanians--and all good people--value justice. They value fairness. If they see Senator Obama fighting for his words--For Truth--that will have profound meaning in their impression of him.

2) Senator Obama should apologize to the Pennsylvania voters.

Not because of the substance of his remarks but because...
He took that message out of the state and, in essence, spoke behind the backs of Pennsylvanians.

He spoke for them and, seemingly...
Without their consent or assent.

They probably appreciate his sentiment but would probably have used different words to characterize themselves.
He should acknowledge that.

Senator Obama was simply a bit insensitive but...
Seeking only to do good not harm.
Ultimately, this is admirable.

In 1991, Americans led a UN-sanctioned, armed and determined, coalition of nations to liberate the State of Kuwait from the clutches of an invading, occupying Republic of Iraq. This operation--Desert Storm--served as rallying point for global citizenship, international collaboration, and a statement of worldwide opposition to tyranny. Historians, economists & social scientists of many nations will examine the impact of that operation for decades to come. But today, in this time of change in our nation, a change that will help shape our future in a time of multitudinous crisis, something more important, more vital, seems apparent...
The American...
1-year olds, 2-year olds, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7-year olds of that time...
Grew to be...
The...
11-year olds, 12-year olds, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17-year olds...
The American pre-teens and teenagers of...
2001.
And of September 11th of 2001.

Many of us have lived our entire lives in the shadows of actual wars; substantive military conflicts; and the threat of epic, cataclysmic military destruction. For me, it has been the Cold War, Vietnam, Iranian Hostage Crisis, the Gulf War, the War on Terrorism as well as a number of other conflicts and skirmishes.

And now those children, they are the American...
Late Teenaged Years; Young Adults; High School Graduates; College Students...
The...
18-year olds, 19-year olds, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24-year olds...
And Newest Voters.

Innocents when the tragedies of 9/11/2001 occurred, they've spent their formative years living beneath a shroud of fear and mistrust--both inward and out. They've watched their government contort the living symbol of liberty--the revered Constitution--behind shadows of lies and deceit. In ways few previous generations were able, they've witnessed blood and treasure sacrificed before their eyes--in real time. Their future becoming collateral for a monetary, historical and cultural loan, with no path for its replayment. Left to them. A loan they had no choice or voice in making...
And now...
They can have their say.

How have those events informed and impacted their lives and experiences? What will be their vision for a new world? How will they express their consent or dissent with what their government has done? Is force the antidote to hate? When the Berlin Wall fell did our generation see opportunity and optimism? Did we embrace the chance to leave fear behind? Or did we witness a vacuum, emptiness and lack of opposition? Did we need to fill that space with new adversaries? Did we need more arenas in which to prove our dominance? Our greatness? New ways to establish and extend our victory? The world become fields of most fertile ground, hungry for the seeds of democracy, and we the only qualified farmers?

In the spirit of motivation, we give our youth messages that oftentimes portend violence:
'Progress and growth are the products of power and conflict.';
'Victory no matter the cost.';
'Survival of the fittest.';
'Competition not cooperation.'...

We continue to live in a language of enemies...
Not friends.

I think the record participation of these young people are saying...
'We're going to say something different. We're going to speak WITH the world, not dictate to it.'

We know many of these young people disagree with how our country approaches conflict--how we wage war, how we continue to interact with our international neighbors. (We demand, we sanction, we warn, we threaten.) We know they're uncomfortable with how we shepherd their natural resources, what we waste and squander. (We pollute, we waste, we ravage, we burn the earth.) We know they're fearful about how we broker their future, the way we not merely profit but plunder. (We have a student loan debacle that ranks as even more odious than oil companies pocketing tax incentives.) I imagine they're confused about why--with so many other growing, expanding and emerging nations...
Why did we leave so many of the most urgent problems for them to solve?

Regardless, they're striving to help themselves...
We need to give them some assistance.

This is what makes Senator Obama's candidacy so meaningful. So relevant. And what distinguishes him from his opponents. He is a man looking past personal achievement, and into the greatness we all can share, to which we all aspire...
A great nation of even greater people.

Senator Clinton, in one of her misguided attempts to mock him, spoke of 'celestial choirs'. I say to you that Senator Obama is not a celestial body, but he is a lens. And he seeks to focus the brilliance, the radiance, that is this nation, America, embodied by this Republic, for which we all stand, indivisible, with generous liberty and justice for all. He speaks to an immediacy of action--that things need to change, now; a world that values and strives for inclusion--and that should be our righteous fight, not exclusion; and inspiration that our future will indeed be different--better, historic, in stellar not pedestrian ways.

Things, for profit's sake, we've made more difficult...
We need to remake them easier.

Since Senator Obama is the first participant in this incarnation of the Hardball College Tour, I hope we can do something for those looking to serve the future via a better education...



From the New York Times:

"Tuition has gone up twice the rate of per capita income. If the cost of milk had risen as fast as college since 1980, as Grassley has noted, a gallon would be $15." (link)

And...

"In a fierce contest to control the student loan market, the nation’s banks and lenders have for years waged a successful campaign to limit a federal program that was intended to make borrowing less costly by having the government provide loans directly to students."

"President Bush’s budget reports that in 2006 for every $100 lent by private lenders, the cost to the government of subsidies, defaults and other items was $13.81, while the same amount lent through the direct loan program cost the government $3.85. The battle for dominance in the loan market has escalated as tuitions have soared and students have borrowed more. This is the context for many of the payments to universities and financial aid officials that have come to light as a result of recent investigations into student loan practices." (link)

To finish...
A corollary:
Last evening, I received an email from one of the groups on Senator Obama's website. It was about...
Mrs. Klein.
"...Mrs. Klein of Glenside. She is 93 yrs old, cannot walk very well nor drive, but she contacted me to see if she could volunteer, somehow, for Senator Obama. Apparently, how she got involved, was from her granddaughter, who lives in South Carolina. Mrs. Klein is very eager to help out in some form. She said to me, "I just want to feel as if I contributed something"."

Here is a person who, with her voice, her vote, has helped shaped this current nation. And like others I've heard, she's listening. Listening and helping her granddaughter create our future nation. In a noble and honorable way, she's contributing even more fully to the legacy of her children, grandchildren and future generations. We all hope to live fully, to benefit, from our existence, here, in these United States. But, ultimately, isn't everything we do meant to benefit the future?
Ours and those that follow?

And certainly...
I hope someone from the Obama Campaign thanks her directly.

In an interview today (April 1, 2008 - 12:50pm ET), on MSNBC Live with Norah O'Donnell, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean continued to advance his preference for un-pledged/undeclared Superdelegates to choose a candidate by July 1, 2008.

Howard Dean stated: "We also have these un-pledged delegates that have been part of the rules for 25 years. There's about 800 of them, about 470 of them have voted. I'd like the other 330 to say who they're for between now and the 1st of July. If they do, we get this wrapped up by the 1st of July, and i think we go on to win."

Continuing...
Norah O'Donnell: "...but you're the Chairman of the Party what assurances do you have for the rest of the Democratic Party, and Americans, that you--as The Chairman--are doing something to make sure that this is settled so that the focus can be on John McCain and not on the fighting between the two democrats?"

HD: "That's actually why I'm talking to you right now. I think that these 330 folks, who have not yet said who they are, could do the country and The Party an enormous service by saying who they're for before July 1st. 470 have already done so, so we'd like the last 330 to say so as these votes are continuing to come in from the public, that way we'll have a unified party by the time we have a convention, and we'll beat John McCain."

And yet...
Ms. O'Donnell did not ask, and Chairman Dean still did not offer...
A STATEMENT ON WHICH CANDIDATE HE IS SUPPORTING.

He put it on the table...
He should show his cards.

In doing this he would demonstrate...
Leadership by Example.

Despite Senator Obama's statements to the contrary, many supporters and surrogates are calling for Senator Clinton to leave the campaign. I cannot align myself with that position. Furthermore, in my estimation...
There will never be an appropriate time for Senator Clinton to abandon her campaign.

There's a road ahead that she has to travel and SHE--Most Urgently--needs Senator Obama's help to complete that journey.

Polling and statements from party leaders indicate many of her recent actions have served to tear the Democratic Party asunder. In attempting to eviscerate Senator Obama--not just his campaign, but the man himself, she lent legitimacy and credence to Senator McCain's campaign (The Republican Party) at Senator Obama's expense. She cannot return to the Senate--WE cannot allow her to return to the Senate--with that bleak pall cast around either her or the Democratic Party.

It has always been my belief and it is now my contention, that each losing candidate needs to return from whence they came, Whole and Complete, if not better than when they set forth in their campaigns. The Clinton campaign has set Senator Clinton at a disadvantage in that regard.

However...
Senator Obama can restore to Senator Clinton what she has lost.

Senator Obama is in a position to aid both Senator Clinton and the Democratic Party and heal this division in very substantive ways. That was a measure of humanity and compassion that was lacking in some of the Clinton attacks. Senator Obama can provide her with opportunities to retract and repair some of her statements. He can provide her with forums to unify party members--people with a vested interest in ending that which is now less a presidential administration and more regime. However...
There needs to be time for this process to develop, evolve and bring people back together.

Senator Clinton needs to start--and I think she has indeed started!--cultivating a vision and a path toward Senator Obama. One her supporters find not merely palatable; or one to which, as Democrats, they are simply resigned; but a path they can feel passionate about. One that inspires them.

On the issues, she needs the ability to lead and create alliance for/between all of us. In implementing policy and initiatives, a President Obama needs to feel he can rely on Senator Clinton to work with him, not to contend against him, and/or spawn adversarial/counter proposals. Examine her convictions toward her healthcare proposal. Would she only support her plan, be open to compromise, or willing to side with Republicans in opposition to President Obama's plan? These are questions that I have no interest in posing beyond the hypothetical. January 20th, 2009 should be a date to affirm solidarity not doubt. So now, right now, is the time for coalition building, a time of healing.

Senator Clinton's departure at this point could represent a breeding ground of distrust, opposition and diminished influence for our party.

"Yes, we can!" is a statement of inclusion.
Not exclusion.
We're past these particular drills and exercises...
So we cannot simply 'practice' what we preach...
We must embody it.

I would love for the first commercial of the general election campaign to be President and Senator Clinton, sincerely and earnestly endorsing...
Barack Obama for President.

The current administration, by its actions--its blatant manipulation of the rule of law (executive orders, signing statements, etc); its unflagging pursuit of establishing governments beyond our borders (regime change in Iraq); gross inattention to crises within our borders (Katrina aftermath)--has alienated a significant number of citizens, and also fostered a lingering distrust of how and where domestic issues rank as a priority.

I think we're entering a time--in establishing change in the presidency, change in America--wherein the next presidential administration will reaffirm the Voice of the People and the Will of the People. As the administration addresses domestic policy initiatives, I will consider it a great pleasure and honor to once again have allies in bettering our future.

Because the next administration will need to both heal and create on many fronts, across the globe, I expect its public face and voice will be conveyed in a variety of forms beyond Commander-in-Chief--press secretary, cabinet members and the vice president. I also expect these Ambassadors to the American Public will represent a clear and consistent vision for elevating our nation. I'm looking forward to Constitutional stewardship that, again, respects and values its citizens. I assume I will be seeing a vice president that substantively interacts with Americans (beyond the word "So?"^[1]; isn't driven by personal gain and/or agenda (for himself or his former business partners); and actually seems to enjoy working for the people. I look forward to a process of repair and restoration--demonstrative actions--as an end to dismissal and disapproval of the electorate, and a commitment to renewed respect, appreciation and care of the American People.

I am going to enjoy more than a reinvigorated pride as an American, but a return to global citizenship that inspires others to be...
Proud Of America.
^[1]Link to the full text/context of VP Cheney's comments to the American People (ABC News interview - 3/19/2008.

...but the weekly Presidential YouTube and/or Facebook and/or MySpace and/or iTunes addresses.

We have a president that respects the power of media and technology. The internet will allow us to see our president. He won't be a faceless entity (nor sound anywhere near as grating/mocking/dismissive/contemptuous as our current 'Disdainer-in chief'). Our next president will also be able to provide us with concurrent site video; models/visual representations; graphics/graphs and url links to important associated information.

Our first, truly 21st Century...
President.

Seriously!

While I'm fairly certain Senator Obama has already energized--and can claim--young voters, his most touted demographic weakness is working class voters (incomes less than $50,000, no college degree).

What gets those voters excited? Invested? Willing to fully explore their options and seriously consider Senator Obama in lieu of Senator Clinton?

Where can he meet and persuade those voters?
Gas pumps (and I love the gas station commercial!)?
Wal-Mart?
Target?
Grocery stores?

I'd like to hear a Wal-Mart announcement that Senator Obama was spending 1/2 an hour in the store...
As a greeter.

I'd like that a lot!