Just wanted to share a Barack Obama speech. Just to warn you, it is more than 30 minutes long.
I think I'm going to start seeking out speeches from other candidates that I find interesting as well.
Monday, January 21, 2008
I missed it
In summer 2001, I drove a moving truck across country with my buddy, Jeff Schnaufer. It was part of a massive effort to move my family from Los Angeles to Horseheads, New York.
Jeff and I made a few stops that were worth it: The Star Trek Experience in Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert, the Trail of Tears in Oklahoma and Arkansas. We also stopped at Graceland in Memphis, Tenn., to see where Elvis had lived.
But now I realize the better stop in Memphis would have been the National Civil Rights Museum, which includes the motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.
I'm kicking myself now because I've realized that the museum was only a few blocks off of our route. Perhaps it was because our trip had an adhoc nature to it - we did sort of adlib our route as we crossed the country - perhaps it was not on my personal radar. I can't even remember if my friend Jeff had suggested the stop or not. Perhaps I simply have grown since then and have realized on a deeper level how important Dr. King's message was.
We were in Memphis a year before the museum unveiled its major expasion, but still it would have been worth it. One thing that made me more aware of it was the movie "Elizabethtown," during which the star, Orlando Bloom, makes a stop there and scatters part of his father's ashes at the site.
But also today, as I watched a documentary on Dr. King's life, I saw a clip of a tour group of kids going through the museum. They were brought up to the balcony at the motel where King was killed and shown a small square where he stood.
Then I realized why the trip there would be worth it: Anyone who stood in that square would be privileged to see what King saw in the last moments of his life.
Jeff and I made a few stops that were worth it: The Star Trek Experience in Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert, the Trail of Tears in Oklahoma and Arkansas. We also stopped at Graceland in Memphis, Tenn., to see where Elvis had lived.
But now I realize the better stop in Memphis would have been the National Civil Rights Museum, which includes the motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.
I'm kicking myself now because I've realized that the museum was only a few blocks off of our route. Perhaps it was because our trip had an adhoc nature to it - we did sort of adlib our route as we crossed the country - perhaps it was not on my personal radar. I can't even remember if my friend Jeff had suggested the stop or not. Perhaps I simply have grown since then and have realized on a deeper level how important Dr. King's message was.
We were in Memphis a year before the museum unveiled its major expasion, but still it would have been worth it. One thing that made me more aware of it was the movie "Elizabethtown," during which the star, Orlando Bloom, makes a stop there and scatters part of his father's ashes at the site.
But also today, as I watched a documentary on Dr. King's life, I saw a clip of a tour group of kids going through the museum. They were brought up to the balcony at the motel where King was killed and shown a small square where he stood.
Then I realized why the trip there would be worth it: Anyone who stood in that square would be privileged to see what King saw in the last moments of his life.
Screenplay: "There Will Be Blood"
There Will Be Blood
FADE IN:
INT. BATHROOM - DAY
Daniel Day-Lewis ENTERS bathroom. Washes cat.
FADE OUT
FADE IN:
INT. BATHROOM - DAY
Daniel Day-Lewis ENTERS bathroom. Washes cat.
FADE OUT
Saturday, January 19, 2008
What about McCain?
Well, the results are in, and it looks like John McCain has won the South Carolina primary. This must be a satisfying victory for him because it was there in 2000 that he got such a raw deal from Bush/Rove.
Although it will be a long time before the Republican nominee will be known, we really ought to think about McCain. In a general election, he could be very electable.
That's because he does carry a reputation for integrity about him. People know that he believes what he says, even if they don't agree with him. He's the kind of politician who is less likely to take a stand because of which way the winds are blowing.
Another reason he's electable is that winning the general election is about capturing that narrow but vital segment of undecided, independent voters. That's his strength. That's how he's winning primaries, and that could give the Democrats a major problem in November.
If McCain does get the nomination, the good news is that the American public may actually get an election worth voting in. It won't be all about strategy, dirty tricks and the politics of entrenched ideology. It will be more about issues. It could be an opportunity for Americans to really think about what direction they want the country to go.
This election may go down to the wire, and we'll all be holding our breath.
Although it will be a long time before the Republican nominee will be known, we really ought to think about McCain. In a general election, he could be very electable.
That's because he does carry a reputation for integrity about him. People know that he believes what he says, even if they don't agree with him. He's the kind of politician who is less likely to take a stand because of which way the winds are blowing.
Another reason he's electable is that winning the general election is about capturing that narrow but vital segment of undecided, independent voters. That's his strength. That's how he's winning primaries, and that could give the Democrats a major problem in November.
If McCain does get the nomination, the good news is that the American public may actually get an election worth voting in. It won't be all about strategy, dirty tricks and the politics of entrenched ideology. It will be more about issues. It could be an opportunity for Americans to really think about what direction they want the country to go.
This election may go down to the wire, and we'll all be holding our breath.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
What's the difference?
We are looking at probably the most exciting primary season that I have ever known, and that goes back to my true political awakening when Jimmy Carter won in 1976. (Ok, maybe the first time was when Nixon resigned, but I cried over that, so obviously I was delusional. I was also 9 years old, so what did I know?)
Anyway, the difference between the two primary races is interesting, and we have George Bush to thank for it in both cases.
On the Democratic side, I see a lot of unity. The messages from each candidate is unique, but they all seem to hit the same themes. It's more a matter of degrees, of emphasis. They appear to have found a formula that they are betting will strike a chord with the populace during the general election. To me, the battle is over who will be best at pitching the Democrats' message in November.
On the Republican side, the effort seems more scattered. Look at the primaries and who has won. First it was a candidate with strong evangelical backing (Huckabee), then a conservative with a moral conscience who supports the war (McCain), then it was a strong-economy candidate (Romney). If Guiliani can pull off a win in Florida, we'll have another flavor of Republican in the mix.
The bottom line is that both parties know that the Bush example won't fly with the public anymore. That's good news for Dems, and that means that the GOP is trying to reinvent itself but doesn't know how.
We'll have a good idea about what is happening on Feb. 5, but I wouldn't be surprised if for the Republicans their nomination would go down to the convention, and that would really be a first for me.
Anyway, the difference between the two primary races is interesting, and we have George Bush to thank for it in both cases.
On the Democratic side, I see a lot of unity. The messages from each candidate is unique, but they all seem to hit the same themes. It's more a matter of degrees, of emphasis. They appear to have found a formula that they are betting will strike a chord with the populace during the general election. To me, the battle is over who will be best at pitching the Democrats' message in November.
On the Republican side, the effort seems more scattered. Look at the primaries and who has won. First it was a candidate with strong evangelical backing (Huckabee), then a conservative with a moral conscience who supports the war (McCain), then it was a strong-economy candidate (Romney). If Guiliani can pull off a win in Florida, we'll have another flavor of Republican in the mix.
The bottom line is that both parties know that the Bush example won't fly with the public anymore. That's good news for Dems, and that means that the GOP is trying to reinvent itself but doesn't know how.
We'll have a good idea about what is happening on Feb. 5, but I wouldn't be surprised if for the Republicans their nomination would go down to the convention, and that would really be a first for me.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Breaking commentary
Just moments after my last post, this item came across the wire:
Obama, Clinton agree to end rancor on race
LAS VEGAS - Democratic presidential rivals Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama jointly pledged to bury a rancorous debate over race Tuesday night, each agreeing in a nationally televised debate that the other had long favored civil rights.
Both blamed supporters for some of the anger that had seeped into their competition for the party's presidential nomination in recent days.
"We both have exuberant and sometimes uncontrollable supporters," Clinton said in the opening moments of a two-hour debate televised on MSNBC.
Obama said both have "supporters or staff who get overzealous. They start saying things that I would not say."
That was a good move to make by both of them. It's good that they are both smart enough to realize this was the only way to resolve this issue. This will also go a long way toward keeping the Democrats unified as they seek the White House (and a continued majority in Congress.)
But it comes down to this, that the issue of race and civil rights is now a non-issue between them. They are agreeing to not try to one-up each other on this point, but it also means that who they have in each other's camps will stay in those camps and neither one will be able to take territory from the other on this issue.
So, let's roll the dice in Vegas and see what happens.
Obama, Clinton agree to end rancor on race
LAS VEGAS - Democratic presidential rivals Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama jointly pledged to bury a rancorous debate over race Tuesday night, each agreeing in a nationally televised debate that the other had long favored civil rights.
Both blamed supporters for some of the anger that had seeped into their competition for the party's presidential nomination in recent days.
"We both have exuberant and sometimes uncontrollable supporters," Clinton said in the opening moments of a two-hour debate televised on MSNBC.
Obama said both have "supporters or staff who get overzealous. They start saying things that I would not say."
That was a good move to make by both of them. It's good that they are both smart enough to realize this was the only way to resolve this issue. This will also go a long way toward keeping the Democrats unified as they seek the White House (and a continued majority in Congress.)
But it comes down to this, that the issue of race and civil rights is now a non-issue between them. They are agreeing to not try to one-up each other on this point, but it also means that who they have in each other's camps will stay in those camps and neither one will be able to take territory from the other on this issue.
So, let's roll the dice in Vegas and see what happens.
Chess
The primary season has barely begun, but the events that will determine the ultimate winner have already transpired. It's just that we don't know what they are yet.
Essentially, we are at the mid-point of a chess match, with Hillary and Barack squaring off across the board. Each player has already laid the groundwork for their strategy and marked out what they want as their main territory.
I think Hillary has been caught by surprise that she has recapture her support in the black community. Her credentials had been good, and she earned key endorsements from black leaders early on. The surprise has been that with Obama's candidacy being so viable the black community realized that instead of backing a white candidate who supports black issues they could have a black candidate offering everything they want who actually has a shot at the presidency.
Hillary may be forced to cede her support from the black community because competing for that support is easily misinterpeted, as she found out with her comments about Lyndon Johnson and Bill found out with his "fairy tale" comment. Fighting for that support could cause more damage and hard feelings so that even if she wins the nomination, it could weaken her own bid for the presidency.
From this point, either side will find it difficult to make inroads on new territory. We just need to see the lay of the land, to see who is in the better position.
Essentially, we are at the mid-point of a chess match, with Hillary and Barack squaring off across the board. Each player has already laid the groundwork for their strategy and marked out what they want as their main territory.
I think Hillary has been caught by surprise that she has recapture her support in the black community. Her credentials had been good, and she earned key endorsements from black leaders early on. The surprise has been that with Obama's candidacy being so viable the black community realized that instead of backing a white candidate who supports black issues they could have a black candidate offering everything they want who actually has a shot at the presidency.
Hillary may be forced to cede her support from the black community because competing for that support is easily misinterpeted, as she found out with her comments about Lyndon Johnson and Bill found out with his "fairy tale" comment. Fighting for that support could cause more damage and hard feelings so that even if she wins the nomination, it could weaken her own bid for the presidency.
From this point, either side will find it difficult to make inroads on new territory. We just need to see the lay of the land, to see who is in the better position.
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