Wednesday, August 20, 2008

The Drum Major Instinct


I was going through my archives and ran across one of my favorite MLK Sermons - The Drum Major Instinct. This speech never gets old. With everything going on in the World, it always seems to be on target. Take a listen from one of my previous posts.

Unfortunately Barack Obama just doesn't seem to get it. John McCain? I don't expect him to get it... but I have been disappointed to learn over the last several months just how much Obama doesn't get it. (i'll be posting on that soon).

I wonder what MLK would think of Barack Obama if he were still with us. He would probably be o.k. with many of Obama's domestic policies.... but I am sure that MLK would have problems with Obama's hawkish foreign policy positions.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Discussion Of Last Weeks Events

Hear a great discussion of last weeks events from On Point Radio.

The main topic of discussion was the Russia-Georgia conflict, and the insane U.S. policy that has instigated the crisis. Unfortunately the debate was 2 against 1 (2 Neocons vs. 1 Progressive, Mr. Jack Beatty). Usually the panels on this program are more balanced.

Monday, August 18, 2008

The Secret Life Of Bees - Finally a Movie Worth Seeing

Finally I may have a legitimate reason to make a trip to the movie theater.

When I was in my 20's I would go see a movie 2-3 times a month. Now I don't go that many times in a year. The last movie I saw was Sicko which came out sometime last year if i'm not mistaken. I guess it has been a combination of a much tighter budget and lower quality movies over the years that has kept me away. There are also fewer good theater choices in my area for some reason. Plus I just prefer to stay barricaded in my apartment. Since I am perpetually single, and I don't date, I usually grab carryout and take in a movie at home.

But I think I might give this a shot when it comes out in October.

John McCain Is Out of Touch With Average Voters

Who's The Elitist?




"Most working families today do not have homes that have anywhere near ten rooms. John McCain has ten houses. Many working people in America have to work two and three jobs to provide for their families and pay their car loans. John McCain hops on a private jet. Is it any wonder why McCain champions a George Bush agenda of cutting taxes for corporations and the wealthy, helping oil companies turn record profits, and leaving working families to fend for themselves? McCain's velvet world leaves him utterly unprepared to make the tough choices we need to restore the middle class and ensure that everyone in America has quality, affordable health insurance."
- Andy Stern, President, Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

John McCain is soaring to new heights of hypocrisy on his wife's personal jet. He flies around the country bent on duping the public into believing he's "one of them," a regular guy who can empathize with Americans facing an overwhelming economic crush. What's more, he disparages those who oppose his ridiculous policy proposals as "elitist." But who's the real elitist?

The REAL McCain is a multimillionaire who owns ten luxurious homes. The REAL McCain backs President Bush's tax cuts for big corporations. The REAL McCain empathizes only with the interests of our nation's wealthy minority, not its money-strapped majority. But far too many are buying into McCain's deceit because the corporate press won't present the whole picture, so we created this video to educate the public about the REAL McCain.

Together, you have been a force in making sure The REAL McCain videos have been seen by nearly 6.5 million people. But as Frank Rich noted in his NY Times column yesterday, 40% of Americans hear too little about McCain from the mainstream media, meaning "the public doesn't know who on earth John McCain is." That's why it's crucial you ensure the above video is seen by as many as possible, and that we use each and every tool at our disposal to get the word out. Raise hell about McCain's economic duplicity!

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney summed it up best when he said McCain "simply doesn't understand the challenges America's working families are facing because he isn't remotely affected by them." It's up to us to tell people who McCain really is, a jet-setting elitist more concerned with corporate lobbyists than hard-working Americans.

--From Robert Greenwald & Brave New Films Team

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Barack Obama Raises 51 Million in July

From Politico.com:

Obama nearly doubles McCain haul
By MIKE ALLEN | 8/16/08 11:55 AM EST Text Size:




Barack Obama raised $51 million in July, nearly twice as much as John McCain.

McCain revealed Friday that he raised $27 million last month, his best month of the campaign.

The summer surge pushed Obama over the $400 million mark for what he's raised over the entire campaign, to $401 million. McCain has raised about $171 million, less than half as much.

Obama finished July with $68.5 million cash on hand, versus $21 million for McCain.

On Saturday morning, Obama’s campaign announced his own huge haul. Here’s the text of the release:

More than 65,000 New Donors Contributed to the Obama Campaign in July, Bringing July Total to Over $51 Million

Obama campaign has $65.8 million on hand

_______________________________________________________

CHICAGO — Senator Barack Obama’s campaign announced today that more than 65,000 new donors contributed to the Obama campaign during the month of July, bringing the total raised for the month to over $51 million. More than 2 million people have now contributed to the campaign.

“The 65,000 new donors to the Obama campaign demonstrate just how strongly the American people are looking to fundamentally change business as usual in Washington. We are proud of the millions of volunteers and more than two million donors to the Obama campaign who will provide the backbone of our campaign to put America back on track and reject the old politics and failed Bush policies, which is all John McCain is offering,” said David Plouffe, campaign manager of Obama for America.


I'm glad he rejected public financing.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Remembering Isaac Hayes



Part I

1. Need To Belong To Someone
2. The Look of Love
3. Ike's Mood
4. I'll Be The Other Woman - The Soul Children (production/arrangements)
5. Hung Up On My Baby
6. By the Time I Get To Phoenix
7. Going In Circles
8. Baby - Carla Thomas
9. Walk On By





Part II

1. Do Your Thing
2. So I Can Love You - The Emotions
3. Never Can Say Goodbye
4. Joy
5. Hyperbolic.....
6. I Stand Accused
7. Soulsville
8. The Sweeter He Is - The Soul Children
9. If I Had A Hammer - Rev. Jesse L. Jackson & The Hayes Band
(Wattstax)






A Great Tribute to Hayes (I was going to attempt to write something similar...but this pretty much hits the nail on the head for me).

I'm a little tired of hearing & reading about the cartoon character. Most of the news reports (about Hayes as a cartoon character, etc) diminish his contribution & career quite a bit. You could easily forget that Hayes is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Remembrance from the Stax Museum Blog

A List of Isaac Hayes Credits

A Great Isaac Hayes Interview from the American Routes Radio Program (celebrating the MLK holiday)

Friday, August 15, 2008

Cullen Jones Strikes Gold in Beijing




Hear Story from NPR

Story from Voice of America

Report from the Washington Post

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Black and BLACKER: The RACIAL Politics of the Obama Marriage? WTF? Here we go again



Yes, this is an actual title of an actual article in New York Magazine.


When the cover is THIS, you know we're already in trouble.


There was a discussion that I had in the comments section here a few weeks ago with other posters. My question was why Obama's White mama and White grandparents don't seem to get the 'respect' that they should -in raising him.

I would believe that his accomplishments would be a testament of how well they raised him.
Columbia University
Magna Cum Laude at Harvard University Law School
President of the Harvard Law Review


I thought these would be talked about as to how well they had raised him, but where's the pub?

I wondered why.

And, then it it me - Michelle.

His marriage to Michelle negates all of those accomplishments..because..

If they had raised him ' right', then how come he married Michelle?

You know Michelle, humble beginnings Michelle, who wound up going to Princeton and Harvard Law - that Michelle.

But, somehow, his marriage to Michelle shows the 'mistake' his mother and grandparents made.

The PSYCHOSIS behind THAT isn't something that I can relate to, so I had to shrug my shoulders when I came to that realization and move on.

I've just been waiting...the attacks on Michelle have been circling this memo, but none had actually come out and said it.

UNTIL NOW.

I get so tired of being insulted by RACIST TRIPE, and then have mofos try and tell me that I 'misunderstood', that I 'misinterpreted' the English Language.

That, JUST CAUSE it's in New York Magazine, I'm not supposed to call racist #*$& when I see it.

BULL.



There's so much to choose from, but here are some select quotes:
A prospective First Lady carries a heavy symbolic burden, but the notions that have coalesced to tongue-tie Michelle Obama are particularly dense. She’s a type we’ve rarely seen in the public eye, a well-educated woman who is a dedicated mother, successful in her career, and happens to be black. This has created confusion for some people, who seem desperate to find a negative quality in her: She’s too big, too masculine, too much like a drag queen. While Obama may be able to play with urban tropes, like dusting off his jacket à la Jay-Z or speaking in a black patois when the time calls for it, Michelle has been increasingly forced to curtail her personality during the campaign, lest she attract rumors of uttering a verboten, anachronistic word like “whitey” or find herself labeled a “baby mama.” As much as any political campaign is an extended meditation on authenticity, the question of just how black the Obamas are has become particularly loaded. Michelle must project herself as black to one community, but she also must act white to another, whatever either adjective means nowadays.

So much tripe, so little time. But, I must.

She’s a type we’ve rarely seen in the public eye, a well-educated woman who is a dedicated mother, successful in her career, and happens to be black.

Well, nothing special about that. Black women like Michelle Obama are all over the country.

As much as any political campaign is an extended meditation on authenticity, the question of just how black the Obamas are has become particularly loaded. Michelle must project herself as black to one community, but she also must act white to another, whatever either adjective means nowadays.

Well, if you don't know whatever either adjective means nowadays, why the hell did you say it? I believe I've recorded darn near every speech Michelle Obama has given on C-Span. And, I've told folks, I've never paid to hear Barack Obama, but I have paid to hear Michelle, multiple times. In front of predominantly Black audiences. I'm trying to discern this ' Black' Michelle Obama that I paid to see vs. the supposed , what ' ACTING WHITE' Michelle Obama I see on C-Span?

Um....there is no difference.
The description of the Obamas’ life together displays no evidence of their connections to black culture, especially now that it’s not prudent for them to join a new church before the election. They take pains to make sure their lifestyle is as boring as possible. They’ve easily resolved knotty personal issues: Michelle’s 71-year-old mom, Marian Robinson, takes care of the girls, so they don’t have to hire a nanny, which would make them look a little too buppie. (The girls still have the packed schedule of upwardly mobile kids: soccer, dance, drama, gymnastics, tap, tennis, piano. Obama doesn’t like them watching TV.) “When we’re all together in Chicago, we like to play games like charades,” Michelle tells us. “We also love a busy house, which means potluck dinners with our close friends and family as often as we can.” We have little idea of the racial makeup of such potlucks.

The description of the Obamas’ life together displays no evidence of their connections to black culture, especially now that it’s not prudent for them to join a new church before the election.

1. Um, if they are Black in this country, and they live in an urban setting, as they do, they have connections to 'Black Culture'. - I think, but but but.....
2. WTF does she mean by ' Black Culture'?
3. So, when I was searching for a new church home and didn't belong to any permanent church, I had disconnected from BLACK CULTURE? Just asking.

They take pains to make sure their lifestyle is as boring as possible.

Cause we all know, if Barack wasn't running for President, he and Michelle would be out clubbin' every night, drinking 40's until dawn.

They’ve easily resolved knotty personal issues: Michelle’s 71-year-old mom, Marian Robinson, takes care of the girls, so they don’t have to hire a nanny, which would make them look a little too buppie.

So, if Malia and Sasha were left to fend for themselves, that would be 'authentically Black'? My Mama made sure there was always an adult with HER children, so did that make Mama buppie? I thought making sure that a responsible adult was looking after the children was what a good parent does?

White folks call it Nanny. Black folks called her ' Big Mama', or ' Mis Sis', or 'Mis Mabel' or 'Mama T', and she's been around the Black community since we've been here.

“When we’re all together in Chicago, we like to play games like charades,” Michelle tells us. “We also love a busy house, which means potluck dinners with our close friends and family as often as we can.” We have little idea of the racial makeup of such potlucks.

WE HAVE LITTLE IDEA OF THE RACIAL MAKEUP OF SUCH POTLUCKS.

AS IF, it's your business who the Obamas invite into their home.

I'd like to know when you're going to ask about the racial makeup of the McCain dinner parties. I highly dout that Straight Talk and the Pill Poppin' Piece-On-The-Side have 'potlucks'.
She’s not quite as smooth a political player as Barack: “Whenever Obama enters the room, there’s a sense of calm and satisfaction,” says a former campaign aide. “Michelle can get a little more tense. Before she goes on-camera for interviews, we’d have to give her a couple of minutes to compose herself. She’ll sit down, raise her hands over her head, and go, ‘Ugh, God!’ ” That’s a mask she’s wearing in public, most of the time, and we aren’t sure what is underneath. When she uttered her fateful words about how, for “the first time in my adult life, I’m really proud of my country,” she unleashed an explosion of emotion, because everyone who’s awake could read between the lines—she was angry about the treatment of black people in America. And anger will not do. Besides, what does she have to be angry about, with her Ivy education and Hyde Park mansion? Isn’t she herself an example of the fact that racism is over in America?

That’s a mask she’s wearing in public, most of the time, and we aren’t sure what is underneath.

Oh, and when you see the Pill Poppin' Piece-On-The-Side, she's pouring out her soul for all to see?

Uh huh.
“the first time in my adult life, I’m really proud of my country,” she unleashed an explosion of emotion, because everyone who’s awake could read between the lines—she was angry about the treatment of black people in America.

If you're Black, and you can think for yourself, please explain to me, what logical reason would you have to NOT be angry?

You don't even know that's what Michelle meant.

She could have meant, after watching Reagan, Bush 1, and the last 8 Years of The Constitution being torn asunder (Michelle is a lawyer, ya know); of seeing people be discouraged, and dismayed at what OUR country was turning into, with the Corporations stealing this nation blind, that maybe Michelle was blown away, by the grassroots activism that impressed the hell out of my cynical behind when I first went to Camp Obama.

MAYBE, it was that that made her REALLY proud in her adult life.

But, maybe you're right - she was channelling her inner Angela Davis.

And anger will not do.

No, I guess we're supposed to be happy as clams. After all, Pat Buchanan tells us we should be so happy about slavery-it brought us to America.

Besides, what does she have to be angry about, with her Ivy education and Hyde Park mansion? Isn’t she herself an example of the fact that racism is over in America?

Say it with me, people.... YOU UNGRATEFUL DARKIE, YOU!

I mean, Michelle couldn't have actually WORKED for anything she has. I mean, that would be too much like right.

Let me explain this to White people....it doesn't matter how much money you have..

YOU'RE STILL BLACK IN AMERICA.

Now, the more money you have, you get the creature comforts and luxuries.

But, YOU'RE STILL BLACK IN AMERICA.

" If you forget you're Black when you wake up, by 5 p.m. that day, someone would have reminded you." - MULTI-MILLIONAIRE Percy Sutton

Do you really think they're a financial level you attain, and suddenly, ' You're not Black' anymore? Now, I'm not saying that it doesn't happen with some folks thinking that they can tear up their Black cards (Michael Jackson, OJ, etc.), but invariably something happens to remind them.

YOU'RE STILL BLACK IN AMERICA.

The rest of this insulting piece of trash was just to get to this paragraph, because this IS the crux of the matter:


And nearly 70 percent of whites, according to a CBS/New York Times poll from last month, say that America is ready to elect a black president—in theory. But it seems that a lot of white Americans are wondering about what promised land, exactly, the Obamas are going to lead us to. Even if Obama is the kind of black politician that middle-American white voters can get behind, the secret fear is that he could be a black Trojan horse with all sorts of passengers like Wright—or onetime compadres Bernie Mac and Ludacris—peeping out from under the canvas. He could be ... Michelle. Or at least what Michelle represents: a smart, angry black person in the White House.

Barack Obama as TROJAN HORSE....

Barack Obama as Manchurian Candidate....

Sigh.

HE's alright...until you look at who he's married to.

Uh huh.

He could be ... Michelle. Or at least what Michelle represents: a smart, angry black person in the White House.

Oh my...a smart, angry Black person in the White House.

I asked in the comments, will someone show me the Angry Michelle. As someone who is a verified Michelle-A-Holic, I have to admit, that I've missed the Angry Michelle. Will someone point me in the direction of Angry Michelle?

I hear repeatedly from White folks about ' Angry Michelle', but all I see when I look at Michelle Obama, and when I read the interviews, and when I watch the speeches on C-Span and paid my own money to hear her is:

An educated, thoughtful, conscious woman who obviously loves her husband, children and country.

Sisters Gina and Nichelle summed it up well at Michelle Obama Watch:
The message from the article is that Black women are not suitable mates for successful Black men and you can’t trust him because he married HER.

Exactly. That is always the undercurrent in coverage of Michelle Obama. I guess the media is so used to seeing successful, educated Black men like Barack with women who are non-black or very light-skinned if they are Black. Historically, that has been the case so to see Barack with brown-skinned-clearly-black-not-mixed Michelle is making a lot of people lose their conservative AND liberal minds.

Good:)

The Obamas as Racial Rorschach Test, Version Number 29382983.

Obama and The Religious Vote: An Update




A theme that I like to return to every once in awhile when we get news on it, is about Barack Obama and The Religious Vote.

Ever since I read this post on PoliticalInaction.com, putting for the supposition that most of the attacks on Obama by the GOP were not just race related, but religion related, I have kept an eye open to see how far on or off the money the blogger was. I believe the blogger is on the money.

The ' Obama is a Muslim' LIE that arrives in the emailbox every Monday.
The ' Obama has a problem with the Jews' LIE that arrives in the emailbox every Tuesday.
The entire attack on Trinity UCC and Jeremiah Wright.

All were done to undermine Barack Obama and his religious standing.

So, what do the latest polls say?

According to David Brody of CBN:


For the most part, the various faith communities of the U.S. currently support Sen. Obama for the presidency. Among the 19 faith segments that The Barna Group tracks, evangelicals were the only segment to throw its support to Sen. McCain. Among the larger faith niches to support Sen. Obama are non-evangelical born again Christians (43% to 31%); notional Christians (44% to 28%); people aligned with faiths other than Christianity (56% to 24%); atheists and agnostics (55% to 17%); Catholics (39% vs. 29%); and Protestants (43% to 34%). In fact, if the current preferences stand pat, this would mark the first time in more than two decades that the born again vote has swung toward the Democratic candidate.


Now, isn't that interesting?

Of course, Obama's Christianity is ' ironic' according to NPR's Mara Liasson, because she has a hard time understanding how 'Liberals' could be ' Christians'.

I guess Martin Luther King, Jr., was just a big old faking athiest then.

And, I guess Black folks(the strongest base of the Democratic Party) are just pretending to go to church more than any group IN THIS COUNTRY, according to the latest study on religion by Pew. When we get in there, well, we're just pagans, I suppose.

You mean, Christianity meaning more than abortion and homosexuals?
NO!

Really?

Yes, Liasson is a stooge over at Fox Noise.

So, Obama's Christianity is ' ironic' when he's not being a Muslim and having problems with The Jews.

A Reminder: Obama and McCain will be at Rick Warren's Church this Saturday, August 16th. The 'Compassion Forum' will be broadcast on CNN.

Charlie Rangel to speak at DNC? Hell to the naw!

Amen, Roland Martin.

Roland's headline made me LMAO.

From Roland Martin @ Essence.com:



August 14, 2008
Charlie Rangel to speak at DNC? Hell to the naw!

Politico.com is reporting that confidants of Harlem Congressman Charlie Rangel are not happy at all with Sen. Barack Obama after the big-time congressman was told to get in line when he sought a speaking role at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

A major supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton, Rangel was angling for a spot, but the Obamites made it clear that there are many more folks ahead of him who desire to speak at the convention.

But at least Rangel might get to speak before Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee and Stephanie Tubbs-Jones. I hear the Obama camp want nothing to do with the congresswomen from Texas and Ohio. They were such staunch supporters of Clinton that folks, but what really ticked off the Obama folks were some of the comments made by them, namely Tubbs-Jones.

Trust me, Bob Johnson has a better shot of speaking at the convention than she does!




Tell it, Roland.

THE THOUGHT that ANY of the HHH would be allowed to utter one frigging word at the official convention podium is insane.

IF a Black person is going to speak at that Convention, it will be one that was down with Obama ' Back When'.

PERIOD.

Talk to the hand, Charlie.

Why is it when 'WE' figure out how to win using the rules, they're suddenly changed?

This is what instantly same into my mind when I read this story:

Clintons Still Want To Kill Caucuses: The Latest Round
The Clintons hate the caucus system, and they want to see it die.

First they finished third in Iowa. Then they were out-organized by Barack Obama's campaign in the caucuses after Super Tuesday. Finally, they lost the showdown at the rules committee over how to reinstate delegates from the banned Michigan and Florida primaries.

According to one well-placed source, President Clinton himself is still raw over reports of caucus tampering in Iowa that he believes could have tilted the race in Barack Obama's favor, and has mentioned that possibility several times in conversation. A separate source who is also close to Clinton says the idea that people were "bused in" from Illinois to caucus is still a concern, as well. (The Iowa Democratic Party is not required by law to release its caucus rolls, and has not done so.)

In part, this fits with the pattern of retrospective analysis and persistent "what-if" thinking on the part of some Clinton officials, such as when communications director Howard Wolfson remarked on Fox News that John Edwards cost Sen. Clinton the nomination -- a claim that was later partially debunked.

So while a debate about the use of caucuses might seem moot to some, it remains terribly important to Clinton loyalists. And thus the battle over their use rages on -- sometimes in private, and sometimes in quasi-public forums. The most recent flash point was last weekend's DNC platform committee meeting in Pittsburgh. Included among over 100 proposed amendments to the party's platform was Amendment 93, which would have banned caucuses from future nominating contests.


The Caucus system was just part of the Democratic Party Nominating Process.

UNTIL

Barack Obama maximized them on his way to winning the Democratic Party Nomination.

In my post How Obama Won - The 50 State Strategy, I pointed out this not-so-small fact:
There were caucuses in the following places:
Iowa
Nevada
Alaska
American Samoa
Colorado
Idaho
Kansas
Minnesota
North Dakota
Nebraska
Washington
Maine
Hawaii
Texas
Wyoming
Guam

Out of this list, Barack Obama LOST the DELEGATE COUNT in ONE Caucus - American Samoa.

Even though he ‘lost’ the Nevada Caucus, he received MORE DELEGATES than Hillary Clinton because of his success in RURAL Nevada.

He only tied her in one place, delegate wise - in Guam, which he won by 7 votes.

Everywhere else, he BEAT HER in the caucus states.

His final Pledged Delegate Tally from the Caucuses: 326
Hillary Clintons? : 176



Who is the usual participant of the Caucus system?

High-information voters; party activists.

I remember something Chuck Todd said on Tim Russert's weekend show: that the problems for Hillary Clinton should have been obvious to the media because of two factors:
a) she could ONLY get 200 SuperDelegates to commit to her beforehand
b) the strong resistance of the party activists towards her, as evident through the caucus system.

So, this Caucus System was ok. Sure, there was grumbling every once in awhile, but NOW it's a complete affront to democracy.

CAUSE THE BLACK MAN WON.

PERIOD.


This is the Black story in America. You can call it 'moving the bar', 'changing the goalposts', however you want to tag it, but the story is still the same:

When Black folk figure out a way to win by the rules, suddenly the rules need to be changed.

For all the talk about Barack Obama opening doors for future Black candidates, I'll never forget a comment I read over at Field Negro - I'm paraphrasing:
They are studying Obama with precision, cause they're going to close everyway possible for any Negro coming down the pike. They ain't NEVAH gonna give another Negro the chance to explode the way that Obama did.


Earlier in the week, dnA wrote a piece for The Prospect:Obama's Racial Catch 22.

In Obama's Racial-Catch 22, in the comments section, posters discussed Tiger Woods, and how, Augusta had been FINE. It had been FINE through the years of Hogan...the domination of Palmer, then Nicklaus.

But, Tiger Woods wins TWO Masters, and suddenly, Augusta and other major course around the country, had to be ' re-designed.'

Same song, over and over again. Doesn't matter the arena- Sports, Politics, Business...

The moment we learn the rules enough to master them....either..
a) the rules are changed
b) a new rule book, that's NEVER been there before, appears.

We know the drill.

Clinton's Name To Be Read As Possible Nominee

Clinton's name will be read at the Democratic Convention, a move that some believe will unite the Party. But I don't see how that shows unity. It will only be a sign of more confusion and the media will use it to speculate about discord within the Democratic Party. It is also still not clear whether this will lead Clinton to call off the dogs once and for all. There are groups of Clinton supporters who just don't want to cooperate. Several plan to try to disrupt the event. The idea of Obama becoming the official nominee is just unacceptable to many Americans, regardless of Party affiliation or ideological leanings - The Clinton/Obama fiasco has proved that. Conservatives and Southerners don't own the patent on bigotry.

Will the Clintonites finally be satisfied or will they still give Obama the cold shoulder? I have a feeling that some may find other reasons not to support Obama. But I hope it helps Obama in the long run. I am not crazy about the idea of an Obama administration.... but I am horrified by the idea of McCain being in the White House.

I hope the Convention doesn't turn into a media circus centered on the candidates....while the platform for the American people gets ignored. Dems have to make clear what the differences are with the Republican candidate....they have to convince voters why a Democrat should be elected....regardless of what background that candidate happens to come from.
Obama must also develop some kind of lasting positive image....an image that the American people will be comfortable with.

Lead Shrinking For Obama

Is Obama Beginning to Lose His Message?


New polling data shows that Obama's advantage over McCain has probably been wiped out. Several polls now have McCain within the margin of error. I had the feeling that Obama would have a fight on his hands because he was never able to pull away. Back in June I mentioned that Obama should be way ahead of McCain at this point. So why isn't Obama pulling away in the polls? Some believe that it has to do with tensions within the Democratic Party. But that may be a convenient way to avoid the elephant in the room.

I believe that Race is playing more of a role in this than people want to admit. I have a hard time believing that there would be this much lingering doubt about any of the white candidates who took part in the primary. I have my own issues with Obama, particularly with his foreign policy for which he tries to model after Neoconservative warhawks. There is no "change" there at all.... more like business as usual. That's one of the reasons why Obama has not compelled me to vote.

Another problem for Obama has been negative media coverage. Yes he gets significant coverage, but not all of that coverage has been positive for him. On the other hand, McCain tends to get off easy, even when significant questions arise about his character, and how he would perform as President. No reporter wants to be seen as the media boogey man who challenged the War Hero and former POW. So McCain is protected in a way that Obama is not.... not to mention the Race advantage.

Another problem for Obama has been that he has allowed McCain to co-opt a lot of his platform. All of a sudden, McCain is the alternative energy candidate? Obama should have never allowed McCain to transform himself this way and steal his ideas.....ideas that Obama has been speaking about for a couple of years at least. McCain didn't start vigorously discussing the need to end dependence on foreign oil (as a priority) until a couple of months ago. Obama has to reclaim that issue as something positive for him and never allow his opponent to steal any part of his platform again.

Has Obama lost his message?