I didn't know anything about Barack Obama before the 2004 Democratic National Convention. It was an exciting convention, filled with great speeches by people I knew and supported - but this young man I knew nothing about delivered a keynote speech that made me sorry I was the only person in the house because some things are just too exciting to do alone.
I watched the replay with my daughter later that night. We agreed - this man would be president one day.
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Since then, we have learned more about the man behind the motivational speech and solidified our initial reactions. We both believe Barack Obama is an intelligent, well-intentioned, principled, caring man and he will be president one day.
Being in the presence of Barack Obama is a had to be there experience. His charisma, serenity, and confidence fill the atmosphere like a healing hug. I enjoy his sense of humor, appreciate that his wisdom defies his youth. And, I am super excited that he danced with Ellen and read a page from her book, proving that presidential candidates don't have to smash beer cans and destroy the English language to prove they are real.
I have argued before that I am not looking for a husband, minister, best friend, or parent, so the "husband, father, regular church goer" ads are wasted on me. Tell me what you plan to do for me as a politician. The surprising bonus with Barack Obama is that when he tells me what he plans to do for my country, I wish everyone had a parent, spouse, and best friend like him.
Senator Obama impresses me in many ways. I end this with two of my favorites:
"Senator Obama also laid down principles for how to discuss faith in a pluralistic society, including the need for religious people to translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values during public debate." (From his website)
Senator Obama says he wants to get people to recognize themselves in others. I think that is a wonderful goal.
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Comments: 120
I haven't changed my opinions or my first choice. I support
Clinton and Obama, but will vote for Kucinich in the primary.
I wish we could vote for our first, second, and third choices. Some naive part of me wants to believe (please don't stomp on my dreams) that the Democratic platform ends up incorporating the wishes of all those who voted in the primaries, based on how many votes the candidates received.
Chivers, I didn't send money - just support. And this story.
(I'm hoping for 2016)
Great article and I agree.
Wouldn't it be awesome if the eventual Democratic nominee made a point of incorporating the wishes and needs of everyone who was motivated enough to vote in the primary, not just the ones who voted for them? I've longed for this before and been disappointed.
Bravo!
Thank you, Kayleigh. I agree, any Democrat would be an improvement. Actually, almost any person with a double-digit I.Q. would be an improvement of what we have.
Obama is a talented politician but I do not see him seasoned enough for President. I will be honest I normaly vote republican but not because I am one. Just often I relate with them. Like to see George Mitchell run for President but he doesnt want it. He would steal the election this year hands down. Obama like I said to me appears to be the perfect Sec of State... I do see him if not on the ticket, if Dems win, on the cabinet.
I think as important as the President is, the choices for cabinet are often just as important if not more in some aspects. Funny no one even considers the cabinet until after the election but often they are jockying for the positions just in case.
I am not a Bush supporter but think he has had a terrible presidency but also one that was by far one of the roughest any president ever had to handle. His choice of advisors was the worst and that in turn made more problems. Bush however, is not dumb and heart felt. I believe he is doing what he considers best for the nation and often has made choices from bad information and self serving officals who basicly used political trust to exploit situations.
Sandy- Hope you can comprehend my view..if you can tell me so I can..LOL
Donald, I don't see anything funny about this at all. Nor do I think it is true that no one considers the things that matter. Many intelligent people DO consider the cabinet and the supreme court justices nominations. But I will agree that too many care more about the wrong things, like gay marriage, religion, and height. I hope the ones who are paying attention see how old 911 Rudy is putting on a liberal front while he winks at those he has promised conservative judges. That's a major concern for me, as is the rest ofhis duplicity.
I think Bush is dumb and evil, and doesn't have enough sense or heart to care what's good for this country. He cares only about himself, his friends, and their money.
This disgusts me. I'm not saying that I think YOU do (unless you condone this):
Basicly the republicans played it so 1 democrat good the glory while his party suffered overall and now we get long congress deliberations that will take time and keep the Democrat Leadership from being able engage in real business to pass via congress.
The Republicans did this throughout Clinton's years (remember when they poo poo'd Gore's Airport Security report as "Wag the Dog" - and continued through Bush's administration until they have put this country on hold so long that they have sent us backwards, in the hole, to hell - and I think it is disgusting.
None will come right out and do the right thing which is to impeach Bush, so to hell with them.
What is Hitler doing here? I thought he committed suicide?
Republicans did play games-and it was wrong, as wrong as the two party system is. I would like to know if Obama has ever mentioned in public if he would consider running for President as an Independent if he is not selected on the Democrat ticket?
Sandy- I laugh often in politics because its better then choking down volmit from the discust of the amount of uneducated and uninformed voters who often never even cast a vote or vote for the person with the best smile.
Sandy-There are worse canidates and I would not cry if Obama is elected but currently I still undecided and problem I see is the field isnt helping. Obama to me is not ready to be President. Neither was the younger Bush. Like to see Obama have more time dealing with foriegn relations as I think is slightly naive on Iran.
Sandy- I might have missed it but if you support Obama as president who would you like to see as VP on the Obama ticket?
I'm not stating my choices for VP because I don't want to insult anyone's decision to run for the top spot.
"Senator Obama also laid down principles for how to discuss faith in a pluralistic society, including the need for religious people to translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values during public debate." (From his website)
And this Senator lived in Jakarta, Indonesia, a long time ago, so we are watching from afar how he is doing there!
When he turns 45-50 and has kids and a job he has to struggle to make ends meet with...then I'll re-assess him.
Until then, the Senate is a good spot for him to push his ideals and show me he really means what he says and can make it happen...*then* he will be in the running for my *vote*
I cannot vote based on campaigns...only deeds.
I might be atypical, but I had my children and did my struggling long before I turned 45. At 45 - 50, I think most people are past the biggest struggles and thinking life isn't quite so tough any more.
Social Security shows me another $1,000.
So how will survival be any easier 12 years from now?
I am currently looking for a lottery winner to adopt...
What "rookie" mistakes do you think he has made?
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I don't have time to point them out for you.
You seem to make ready assumptions in an attempt to defend him. First that I must not be a careful observer and now that I haven't heard the necessary information (I am by now saturated) and that I want to dislike him. I would love to have Obama to have the experience and to be the first African-American president. I'd also like Hillary to be the first woman president, But more than either of those I want a president that has the experience to solve our natin's problems.
Hillary has also been vetted... when the republican and lobby machine startsto attack her it is going to seem like the same old tired attempt to stop progress. When the do it to Barack it is going to seem all so new and fresh.
No more Nepotism in the White House.
No more Nepostims in the White House? Got no clue what you mean.
So again, your blanket statement makes no sense to me given the actual definition of nepotism.
(IE.) George W. Bush possessed leadership skills because his father is a former president.)
End Nepotism in the White House.
I don't think any of the candidates' family members or even the candidates themselves (in every election that I have witnessed) have these relationship to an extent it will make a difference (how many relationships can you have)?
The full definition for nepotism is listed below with examples given. I don't think your example fits. The examples show an outcome occurring because authority/power is exerted on behalf of a relative or because those making the decision have a relationship with someone which influences their decision. I don't think a whole lot of voters have a relationship with the canidates. As far as 'familial tendencies' and environmental factors -- I take all that with a grain of salt.
nepotism
[NEP-uh-tiz-um]
Favoritism based on kinship, i.e. shown to members of one's family, as in business, or in appointment to a job; bestowal of patronage in consideration of relationship, rather than of merit or of legal claim.
Examples:
1) I got a job there as a result of my grandfather being on the board of directors - a lesson in loyalty here, or, should I say, just plain old nepotism. (James Carville, "Stickin': The Case for Loyalty")
2) The staff was recruited by unabashed nepotism. --Noel Annan, [2]Changing Enemies Some custodians have worked their way around more recent nepotism rules by hiring each other's relatives. (Diane Ravitch and Joseph P. Viteritti, "New Schools for a New Century")
3) Being the son of the CEO, Jamie knew he got his position as marketing director partly through nepotism, but he nevertheless felt confident that he had the know-how and imagination to improve sales.
He is going to do great things for the country!
Shawn, people who say 'nuff said should stop and consider how often how often what they say before those words is not enough to make good sense.
I can't watch the videos on this old comp but I did see his speech and it brought tears to these tired, old, broke, sick of war and corruption, starting to get hope back eyes!!!!
*Removed Cara D.'s unrelated picture and link.
I'm ROFL.
Look, Sue. Cut it out. Please stop sending your alter to my articles, and stop pinging me.
Thank you, Sandy. I was wondering just who this alter was, and now I know!
Here is the ironic thing: I followed Michael, aka Sue here to tell you that Michael was an alter, and here you not only already know, but have identified the culprit.
Shame on Sue!
Thanks, Sandy!!!
Also, one of my buddies is an alumna (went to school with Condie) of Stanford. They know each other, although they cannot stand each other. Do you know either of them, or not?
What are the names of those?
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?memberId=493427&articleId=281474977489123&nav=MyGather
Grow up, and come out of the closet; put on your REAL faces; but you would never do that would you; you're afraid.
This is so immature, and silly. People know you are not who you say you are, alters.
Stay away from me. I only hope I am not connected to your real personas on Gather -- the one, or ones you are attempting to protect. If you aren't men and women enough to show your REAL faces (cowards), then what you "say" you stand for must not be worth standing up for at all.
Forever bye. You know better than to hit my threads. I'm not as tolerant as Sandy.
What a fabulous montage about our new president.
I feel Obama may turn out to be a second or third George Bush. If that happens, how will the public react?
The public won't be able to react if your nightmare becomes a reality. The world will end.
Before election or after it, ok I take it, you wrote the piece a year prior to even the final election ir eveb befire the dust was tossed in the air, my view was that choice or no choice of a particular person (for the post of a President), it is always prudent not to shower too much praise on a person and then later throw him down the nadir as George Bush had to endure at the hands of a majority of the people of US. Americans are a witnesses to events prior to or even after the elation of George Bush. The people of US elated him to the post of President and then returned him a second time. US is aware of the 9/11 event that was not the handwork of George Bush and it was the very same people who gave a nod to a second term for Bush, but when things came to a sorry pass (for no fault of a President like George Bush), people started casting aspersions and labelling him as an unsuccessful Presient, which fact catapulted Obama to the present position. But Obama is yet to take on the mantle and face reality.
For my personal part, I feel it will not be all that bed of roses once you put on the mantle of a President and all decisions and acts of George Bush which have been labelled as excessive or wrong are the only way out to leash the terrorists but unfortunately the results were not to the liking of American People who went all out for a new or young person. But will America succeed under the present President - it is to be seen. This vaguely was my driving point.
Well, even the terrorists are watching - beware!
Well, what do you think of usurper Obama now?
"will not raise taxes" - how about new tax on tobacco? gas? and proposed tax on alcohol to pay for socialized healthcare?
You probably thought the income tax, which he first said "not on incomes under $250k" then ended with "not on incomes under $125k".
These new taxes are taxes on the poor as most of them are utilizers of tobacco products and alcohol.
And what about him backing out of his "tranparency" promise/lie?
What about him nationalizing dozens of banks?
What about him taking over GM?
What about him giving bonuses to AIG and Fannie/Freddie executives. There were bonusus for failures. Many more to come.
What about his "stimulus" with the actual price tag of trillions? Same with bailouts - he voted for them too. Your dollar is now worth less than 4 cents -that's the hidden tax. Inflation and deflation.
And now, who are those loosing their jobs? Not the elite - it's the poor again.
And, how about making him accountable about the torture? He is still a usurper of the constitution.
Ask yourself, what happens when the breakers of the laws are now the makers of the law?
Hold on to your hat - you should have been smart enough to look beneath his skin color to see what actually lies within. He has spent over a million dollars on attorneys to keep his "place of birth" a secret. Money YOU donated to his campaign fund,
Read some of my posts to get a better idea of today's reality.
I ignored politics in general during the bulk of Bush's administration, but now it seems so much different.
Thanks for the great article, Sandy. :)