Speeches like this are what reinforces my belief that Senator Obama is genuine, down-to-earth and intent on making a real difference. In case you can’t watch the video (approx 13 mins) right now, read the transcript below which captures the essence of the speech.
“When I started this campaign I wasn’t sure that I was going to be the best of candidates. But what I was absolutely positive of was that there was the possibility of creating the best organization. Because I’m a big believer in that the way great things happen is when people are willing to submerge their own egos, and… just focus on bringing their particular gifts and passions and energy and vision to a common task then great things can be accomplished. That’s my old organizing mindset. It’s not just a gimmick. It’s not just a schtick. I actually believe it….
“You worked hard. You lifted each other up. You covered for each other. You made up for each other’s mistakes. You didn’t blame each other when things went wrong. There was just a good mood, a good heart, to this campaign. That’s what I’m most proud of. Even if we had lost I would be proud of what we’ve built because nobody thought that we could build it. Everybody thought that at some point this thing was gonna be a flash in the pan. Collectively, you, most of you are I’m not even sure of drinking age… You’ve created the best political organization in America and probably the best political organization that we’ve seen in the last 30 or 40 years. That’s a pretty big deal…
“Now, we also have more work to do. And I know that had this not been so difficult a task, the primary, it would have been nice to have a couple of weeks off, or even a week off, and just get a break. And I know how tired you guys are and if some of you are feelin’ burnt out… just let us know and we’ll understand. I feel you. But we’re gonna have to turn around and work even harder, because the truth is that… a lot of the reporters were asking, ‘how come you don’t seem more exuberant?’ It’s funny because that fist pump got so much play. That was our celebration. What I’ve told the reporters is that it’s because as I’ve traveled over the course of the last 16 or 17 months and I meet people that are struggling… you really do get this enormous sense of obligation. We don’t have an option now…. If I’d lost Iowa, it would have been over. One of the other Democrats would have emerged… But because we won, we now have no choice. We have to win.”
February 18, 2008 at 3:57 AM · Filed under Politics
I’ve been putting off writing this piece on my support and hope for Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy for many weeks, as cascades of positive news continues to pour in and entices me to add them to my essay. However, those testimonials and evidence of ever-growing support for the Illinois Senator simply add to a story whose essence hasn’t changed. I still vividly remember hearing Senator Obama speak (part 1, 2) at the 2004 Democratic National Convention and wondering why he wasn’t the nominee; that sentiment quickly turned into wishing. I didn’t even know anything about his politics at the time. In fact, I had never heard of him before that night, but I was glued to my seat, inspired, hopeful again that real possiblity for change in government still existed. Thankful for modern technology in the form of my DVR, I watched his speech twice.
Despite political rhetoric claiming that Senator Obama lacks any substance and only offers eloquent and moving speeches, a quick look at his campaign’s website will show otherwise. It is practically offensive of any opposing candidate that continues with this argument at this point, offensive to the millions of voters who have voted for Senator Obama already and given him a lead in the Democratic Party’s delegate count.
But policy statements alone do not dictate what makes a great leader. And what president or other national leader ever walked into office already knowing everything they needed for that position? Ever? If we really desire some completely qualified individual to become president, then we would have “President Universities” and the candidates would take a test to see who would be the best, essentially foregoing the process grounded in democracy that we have now.
Symbolism is a powerful thing. America is a symbol for much of the rest of the world. Despite our current administration’s hubris (among other things) in invading Iraq, and subsequent mishandling of the situation, people still flock to our shores. Imagine our standing, how we are viewed by the rest of the world if our government and particularly our president were worthy of respect.
Inspiration is a powerful thing. It has been said by many throughout this campaign and I’ll repeat it, Barack Obama is a once-in-a-generation candidate. He is inspiring when he emotes that change for the better can happen, and if words alone out of the mouth of the president does it, then more power to him. But he’s not saying that. He has positions on how that change should be brought about. Senator Clinton is capable and smart but is she inspirational? My argument is that she would make a good president, having been inside the White House and worked in Congress for a number of years, and certainly orders of magnitude better than the current office holder, but Senator Obama is right in that her approach would more than likely be the same. Her using the word ‘change’ rings hollow.
Lawrence Lessig, a Professor of Law at Stanford and of Creative Commons licenses fame, put together a fantastic video outlining why he supports Obama. It draws a distinct comparison against Clinton, not so much on policy, but rather on characteristics such as integrity, inspiration, and moral courage. You can see a high quality version of this video here.
Leadership is a powerful thing. Leadership certainly isn’t about policy positions or having had a requisite number of years of experience in office. Leadership transcends those elements. Can leaders be made? History says probably not as often as they are born. Senator Obama already demonstrates leadership qualities in droves.
If you’ve paid any attention to exit polls to date, you will have noticed that people from all walks of life, race and age have voted for Senator Obama. And in many documented cases, even Republicans have stated that they will vote for Obama. Race is no longer a factor, nor should it be. Neither should gender be for that matter. Jeff Jacoby of the Boston Globe wrote a wonderful piece entitled “The irrelevance of Obama’s color“, and points out that the sooner we abandon racial labels, the sooner they will be irrelevant. I still find it troubling that the color of one’s skin is what garners the label. After all, if Obama is labeled black, shouldn’t he also be labeled white?
I’ve donated for the first time ever to a political campaign, and I will do so again before the primary season is over. I also hope to be able to contribute to the Obama campaign when he runs as the DNC nominee. For once, I’m not voting for the lesser of two evils or because I don’t like the other candidate or just to satisfy a civic duty. Perhaps Senator Obama’s candidacy is the catalyst for individuals to become politicians with integrity.
I encourage you to take a further look at Senator Obama’s platform and ask yourself if it isn’t worth it to our intertwined futures to seriously consider his candidacy. I’ll end with one of his catch phrases, Yes, we can!
September 12, 2007 at 9:34 PM · Filed under Politics
It’s time for us to become 1 country instead of 50 little ones bound together by a federal government. So says Noah Weiss, and I agree. Read his manifesto, which I’ve made available for download (PDF). Read even the first few pages to get a good idea of what he’s suggesting. Even ignoring the references to Bush winning the 2000 presidential election without winning the popular vote, this is a solid read that makes a great deal of sense.
Implementing one national government, instead of the federal, state and local governments that we currently have would streamline everything, leading to much greater efficiencies. Having laws that apply to everyone regardless of their location would result in a true national identity. Federalism is antiquated and it’s time for America to grow up some more and take the next step towards democracy that guarantees an equal voice for all of its citizens.
September 6, 2007 at 12:08 PM · Filed under Politics
Jon Stewart hits the nail on the head again with this comical look back at how our misguided foreign policy continues to shoot us in the foot and in turn seems to spur on continued bad decisions. An instant classic in Daily Show history.
(click on the image for a pop-up of the video hosted at the very popular political commentary blog, Crooks and Liars. If it doesn’t work, let me know and I’ll poke around for a replacement video or you can do a search yourself.
Here’s another reason to be thankful I don’t live in a country with limited freedoms. While it’s not an outright ban, China recently moved to put discourage teenage online gamers from spending too much time online. ISPs and online Internet gaming companies need to install new software that would cut a player’s virtual points in half once they get to the 3 hour mark. After 5 hours of playing, they wouldn’t get any [points]. It’s not clear whether this is a per day/per week or other time window limitation.
Dang, how could we ever have played those all night Starcraft sessions? Granted, those were just for ladder rankings, and I wasn’t trying to build up enough loot to sell anything for real cash, but still. Isn’t game addiction among kids like anything else? Ever notice how no one talks about kids watching too much TV any more?
