Guest Post from a Field Hand: "I Cried My Last Tears Yesterday"

You both summed up what I think many of us are feeling. We cannot go back to who we were. We've been changed by this campaign and moment in time. This has been a precious gift offered to all of us. I hope we can drag the others who are still wrapped in fear and prejudice along with us, kicking and screaming if they must, into a new and more equitable world. If not then they'll have to step aside because this is our country too and it's clear that many of us are done with just accepting things for what they are when we know that change is within our grasp.

Al, and your Field Hand who I hope will identify herself so we can send her a loving hug, may not have seen the Donna Brazile video clip from another post - just in case: ( I hope this link works)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-__IdzH1b8&eurl=http://narcosphere.narco...

And everything Jess just said.

People aren't falling for this Ayres stuff. Not this time. Check the first AP headline I've liked in a while..."McCain losing ground with working-class whites"...Mwah-ha-ha!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081010/ap_on_el_pr/working_class_voters

Si somos americanos, seremos buenos vecinos;
compartiremos el trigo,seremos buenos hermanos -- canción de Rolando Alarcón

Todos somos americanos.-- Barack Obama

Very powerful stuff!  .

To the as yet Unnamed Field Hand and Al:

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

Awesome song and awesome message!

The above AP article also cites one of the few quotes from Ed Rendell I've agreed with:

 "This election is going to be decided when a husband and wife sit at a kitchen table, or a single parent sits at the kitchen table, looks at their bills and figures out who is most likely to help them with their financial condition," Rendell said. "If the answer's Barack Obama, nobody's going to care whether he's black, green, orange, purple, fuchsia or whatever."

Can I get an amen?

has emphasized how old and out of touch McCain is, and how insular Palin is? The only people that care are the people who are old and insular like they are. You have to be my age (52 on Monday) to even remember the turmoil of the late Sixties, and I couldn't have picked out Ayres in a lineup until Obama ran. Sarah comes from insular Alaska which I suspect was barely touched by the Sixties, has almost no immigration, and where the high price of gas keeps the economy humming. What do they know about falling house prices and 401k?

 

I remember Margret Chase Smith. As a white young women in MS, I lived through the backlash of Brown v. Board of Education, James Meridith entering Old Miss, the MS murders, the emergence of Dr King, Birmingham, the murders of Kennedy, King and Kennedy on TV. My ex was a minister and went to the jail to visit a young man who had been unjustly arrested for borrowing his bosss' truck to go to school for a test rather than work the last rows of the field. With two small children asleep in their beds I quaked in fear until he returned home having secured the young man's release.

For me, it is not just an AA thing. It is the memories from those times. It is still "Red and yellow, black and white, we are precious in His sight." Yet, how far we have come! Not red states/blue states - the United States. One Nation, one people all working so very hard.

So, the action I took was to call my two TN Republican Senators and call for a Margaret Chase Smith moment from them.

Thanks everyone who is part of this Field.

 

 

McCain 49 Obama 46

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/docs/IA_Georgia_101008.htm

http://www.physorg.com/news142862643.html

On the heels of the ARG +8 poll in West Virginia for Obama is the announcement that the sidekick's sidekick is headed there to do some desperation defense:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/10/palin-schedules-bus-tour...

 

That means the ARG poll wasn't an outlier.

yes..we will fight harder to stop the Fu@#$% bullies.....we are not intimidatet this time

Battle Hymn of Barack Obama

Yes, I watched his lonely protest standing up against the war
Then I heard his stirring challenge to bring change from shore to shore
I could see the people moving toward what he was fighting for
The change is marching on

I am voting for Obama
I am voting for Obama
I am voting for Obama
The change is marching on

Now the enemy is fearful and the stakes are rising high
Still he sounds the call for change and millions know the reason why
There's a dream our nation's built on and that dream can never die
The change is marching on

I am voting for Obama
I'am voting for Obama
I am voting for Obama
The change is marching on

When I cast my precious ballot I'll be praying for the ones
Of the future generations, all whose time is not yet come
To remember this great moment when the people's will was done
The change is marching on

I am voting for Obama
I am voting for Obama
I am voting for Obama
The change is marching on

TUNE Battle Hymn Of The Republic
Lyric: Stephen C Rose c Copyright 2008

Wow, that WAS worth sharing with the world!  I have been saddened by this latest turn in the election, and had my eyes opened a bit to some of the fear and hate that's out there.  It has taken me back a bit, and in turn frightened me.  I appreciate these words greatly, and now realize that we are working towards a more perfect union, and we will have to push the bullies out of the way to do it.

(a highly regarded educator in Berkeley public schools).

Does that make me some sort of terrorist by association?

of coming scross the northern states: OR, WA, ID, MT, WY, SD, MN, WI, IL, IN, OH, PA, NJ, NY, CT, RI, and MA. Only ID and SD seemed safely McCain's, though I barely touched WY, which I assume is his also.

What Al says is true: the Straight Talk Express has collapsed in desperation to enable the Hate Talk Excess, but they're all the same haters that were always present. Not one is a new convert.

 

Today, the son of WM F Buckley, the former Republican guv of Michigan (Milliken?) and Lincoln Chafee joined the tide of Republicans abandoning McCain precisely because of the lack of principle he's been displaying since the convention and their absolute certainty that Palin's unfit to hold such an office. They suggest Obama's not just the better choice but that he displays the traits of a possibly great president in a time that may require that.

All but the extremists have left the passenger cars after witnessing the erratic machinations of the loco motives driving McCain. Whatever honor he once displayed is being surrendered to his greatest enemy: his ambition.

I see no trend anywhere that favors McCain capturing a single Kerry state. Conversely, 2004 Bush states of NM, IA, VA and CO all look certain for Obama, the odds are very high that he'll also take FL and OH. Tossups like NV, MO and MT remain and IN, NC, and WV remain very much in reach. So McCain has to try and defend at least 9 of those 12 states while pursuing just one Kerry state that he has a long shot chance still: MN.

And most Americans in the majority of the states aren't buying McCain's snake oil. Only in AK, AZ, ID, UT, WY, NE, ND, SD, KS, OK, TX, LA, MS, AL, AR, TN, KY, and SC does a McCain victory seem assured. That's only 18, with too few tossups to reach 25.

Even without the last month of market woes, McCain had no positive vision to appeal to the country with and Obama stood a 60% chance of winning. Now his odds of victory have reached 99% and the Hate Talk has completely derailed his appeal. He can't even win if violence occurs at the hands of some nutjob because most of America would reject that and vote for ANY Dem to deny the aims of such haters.

This election is over for McCain. All that remains in question is the depth of his loss.

America has changed, permanently, and for the better.

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Just remember, the battle isn't ovber till we get everyone out to the polls on Election Day.  We need to send a stong message!

Keep up the great work!

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/mccain_campaign_goes_after_mic.php

That brought tears to my eyes...the good kind. This needs to go to Kos...

The hate-filled spiel and the fact that it is egged on by reps of a major political party is frightening; but we can't cry or be afraid. Michelle's not.

McCain did the same thing a few months ago when he laughed when someone at one of his gatherings asked "what can we do about the bitch"...meaning Hillary. McCain laughed.

Honorable people would compete on "regular" ideas; dishonorable people allow themselves to get in the gutter to win at all costs.

A whole new set of challenges starts after the election...helping Barack re-make this country into what it is supposed to be.

 

 

waterprise2 AKA Pam

Liberal with a Capital L!

 

@ punaise...

I was the curriculum consultant at a school that received some Annenberg funds; I was in charge of the programs that came from that grant.

Pam gets Annenberg money from Barack who developed the programs with a "terrorist" ergo Pam is a terrorist. Not only that, Pam likes to go to Chicago as often as possible to visit relatives. Therefore Pam is one of those Chicago street thugs.

 

waterprise2 AKA Pam

Liberal with a Capital L!

 

and we have only just started our work.

Many Thanks to my fellow Fieldhand for sharing your feelings.

Anything worth having is worth fighting for, your struggle is my struggle because we are all one.

To Al and the unamed Field Hand, "thank you". I think we all needed that right now. I'm a mixed-race (hispanic/caucasian) female who grew up in the town where ten school buses were fire-bombed the night before desegregation was to be implemented in our schools. I haven't seen this much vileness and hatred since I was a child in the midst of it.

On a happier note, I can't tell you how good I feel about seeing our country come together and work towards change. Keep the faith, I'm doing my part however I can.

"Al, keep on telling the people how important this is.

Keep telling them to push one step further.

Keep telling them my struggle is our struggle "

Strong, truthful words and the mostly volunteer Obama force in Georgia is doing exactly that which today yielded a poll showing the Dem candidate tied with the awful Chambliss.  I'm sure most of you remember the disgusting smear campaign he waged (and won) against Sen. Max Cleland, the decorated and disabled Viet Nam veteran. 

From Wikipedia:

Chambliss ran for the Senate in 2002 and won a close race, defeating the Democratic incumbent, Max Cleland, 53 percent to 46 percent. His House career would have likely been over even if he hadn't run for the Senate; his home in Moultrie had been redrawn into the neighboring 1st District, represented by fellow Republican Jack Kingston.

His campaign used the refrain of national defense and security, but drew criticism for television ads that paired images of Cleland and Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, and for questioning the commitment to homeland security of his opponent, a triple amputee and decorated Vietnam veteran.^[5]

Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona said of one ad, "[I]t's worse than disgraceful, it's reprehensible;" Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska said the ads were "beyond offensive to me."^[6]

This is what's the fight is all about. JUSTICE.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/docs/IA_Georgia_Senate_101008.htm

http://digg.com/politics/The_Field_CRIED_MY_LAST_TEAR

thank you.

Tonight I went to get pizza for the family in a blue collar neighborhood near where I live. The area is home to poor whites, some home ownership, mostly (barely) high school graduates, and more than their fair share of bi-racial kids.

The 58 inch screen TV had Fox on. The food is good and cheap.

The middle aged african american man behind the counter has worked there for years had an Obama button on. I was surprised to see such a visable show of support for Obama in McCain country. I commented and congratulated him on the button and complained about the TV show....he said that he didn't have control over the TV but was looking forward to 'entertaining and important conversations that evening.' He went on to say that we have to come together and not be afraid and let go of the rage. He told me that Iceland had gone belly up. That this was too important for hate.

As I see it Obama is empowering a whole lot of us to stand up for what we believe. Proud of what and who we are!

 

Al, I think that the email represents the most honorable support of your journalism than anything else concievably could--even though it is, of course, nice to get kudos from Kos and Huff P.  Don't know the emailer, and it might best to let this testimony stand with no name added.  Definately, the sentiments evoked make me proud of my country and its people.  No, not saying that such decency and vigor aren't present in any and every nation--but given our imperfect history, it points up to me that so many of the nameless folks that have passed on have made a difference.  If there is any 'hope' for our nation, it will be epitomized by the spirit of determined decency and respect.  Well done, I've got your back--and if you grow weary I've will take up the slack.   All the flag-waving and fake posturing in the world can't trump authentic patirotism, because that combination of thought, feeling, and action transcends all petty nationalisms.

Patriotism cannot be purchased on the cheap, with no sacrifice and no struggle. Dollar store patriots and used car lot flag wavers abound--and such ignoble sentiments, as we have seen in the McCain/Palin rallies this week, are deeply shamed and embarassed when authentic patiotism comes to the forefront.

Last Saturday morning, after reading about Palin attacking Obama with the 'palling around with terrorists' meme I was so damned angry.  And my only salvation from my impotent anger was to canvass neighborhoods for Obama.

When I meet folks that one wouldn't automatically peg as Obama supporters actually enthusiastically willing to vote for the man, I see that there is hope for the nation.

The hate-fest is, thankfully, being challenged from people that know that we are better than such ignoble sentiments--and this goes beyond particular dogmas and political ideologies.

Yes we can--heal this nation!

We will rise up to our challenges on the backs of the everyday heros that have faced hell, spit in its face, quelled the flames of anger, division,  and ignorance, and returned home to tell the story--to future generations that haven't forgotten the ideals of justice and equality, and endeavor to live these 'truths' in a dyamic and idiosyncratic fashion.

Again, well done.   Yes we can!

It's time to get our backs up, keep our eyes focused on the horizon.

Senator Chuck Hegel--a thouroughly decent man.

He's now linking to this post, and he should, because it gave me hope and peace today, when I was starting to be afraid.

Thanks Al, and thanks unnamed Field Hand....

Thank you for your words and deeds of courage. Each of us can take similar stands, and if we all did, snap! Just like that, the world would be improved.

 

I am a white, male American. I come from rural roots, mill workers and grocery clerks, of Scottish-Irish heritage. I am of the kin, I suppose, who populate Appalachia. But let me tell you true: I'll never believe anything other than we are all equal, and judged by our deeds and our words; that America is the greatest country in the history of the world because anyone can become an American, if you hold a few tennents as true: The Constitution, fair elections, and inalienable rights. All of these things have been trampled upon over the last 8 years and will continue to be trampled upon unless...

 

We elect the most qualified person for the job as President of The United States of America: Barack Obama.

 

Truly, objectively, and beyond any standard of doubt: Barack Obama is the most qualified person in America for President right now, and it is right now, on the cusp of disaster, that we - the entire world - need him most.

 

Thank you again for your words.

McCain backtracks and says Obama is a decent citizen who you don't have to be afraid of and Troopergate report said Palin abused her power!

 

 

...and I can't wait for Obama to become our next president. The color of his skin doesn't matter to me. His ideas, his empathy, and his deep appreciation for the struggles of the middle class are what matter to me. He has all of these qualities sewn up. He's a class act, and I will be proud to call him our leader. The GOP should be ashamed of itself for tolerating this openly racist and hostile bile to be spewed on the campaign trail. Shame, shame, shame.

This item was just reported by Time Magazine's blog:

McCain just snatched the microphone out the hands of a woman who began her question with, "I'm scared of Barack Obama... he's an Arab terrorist..."

"No, no ma'am," he interrupted. "He's a decent family man with whom I happen to have some disagreements."

Needless to say, McCain's own crowd BOO'D him. Still, McCain knows he's done wrong letting the mob run this wild. Plus, the polls show that the massive negative personal campaign is costing him more and more votes among the center. They want to hear about the economy not a bunch of lies about Obama's Arab genealogy. McCain's learning how hard it is to walk a lynch mob back down to becoming a Norman Rockwell town hall meeting. 

McCain will lose this race. But at least he will have some, still small, shred of self-respect to take back to Arizona. 

Okay...they have gone off the deep, deep end this time.  The McCain campaign is actually attempting to slime Michelle Obama because she was in the same organization as someone who was once in the Weather Underground, and that organization is the Sidley and Austin Law Firm?  One of the largest of the white-shoe, Republican, establishment, corporate law firms in the country?

TPM Election Central has the story and the audio of the campaign conference call:

 

The attack? Bernardine Dohrn, Ayers' wife and fellow former Weatherman, went to work in 1984 for the major Chicago-based national law firm of Sidley & Austin, and three years later, Michelle joined the mega-firm as well.

 

Really? Have they lost their minds?

Wow,  can't believe I'm first to share this news with you.

McCain was forced to defend Obama today at his rally and got booed by his supporters.  A man said his first child was due next year and he was afraid of raising the child under an Obama presidency.   McInsane said nothing to be afraid of with an O-man presidency, that Obama is a decent person.  Later another woman said Obama was an Arab.  McCain shook his head saying no, he's not.  It's not true.  Took the mike away from the lady saying Obama is a decent family man.   This story was lead on Olberman.  Incredible that they whipped up all this vile and hatred against That One and now are forced to defend him. 

Isn't there an Alinsky rule about this?  Something about a thing going so far that it comes out on the other side?

And now the Alaska report is out saying McPalin abused the 'public trust' when she and her hubby used governatorial influence to get the brother-in-law fired.

Quite a Friday dump.

 

As unnamed Field Hand said:

This moment has ignited a new found sense of civic duty, civic pride, and civic virtue that I have never experienced before

I having been driving to Michigan on the weekends to canvass voters. This is very much outside of my comfort zone, but I understand what she's saying because I too have a new found sense of civic duty and pride. And I do believe it will stay with me long after the election.

I don't think the Republicans realize the force that is being unleased.

Al.

you are right in citing the old McCarthy era politics because I did notice something.  Watching a video in PA. at a McCain rally where people going in were saying disgusting things about Obama, I noticed that most seemed to be over 60.  Retirees.

These are the same people who were already adults in their 20s during the civil rights era and most of their views already shaped.  They carried these same old views from growing up in the 40s and 50s before civil rights came and then, saw the eruption in the great battles for equality.

Thankfully, those under 55 have different views.  They are the forefront of a new attitude and idea.  They are the first ones who worked as equals with AAs, went to school with AAs and in general, knew and became friends with AAs.  And as you go down the age spectrum the more you see whites who do not even see what the big deal is about a person's skin color.

But, please, Al, tell this writer that there are so many more whites who are open to, support and respect and look up to Sen. Obama.

Sen. Obama is breaking the bearer and doing so in a time where so many people are suspicious of different.  They have had 8 years of fear mongering, told to hate the muslim or anyone different, and the triumph - for a few years- of hate politics.

Sen. Obama is not just fighting against one bearer but, also the suspicion, the rumors, the fear mongering due to his middle name.  And yet, the people who made his very nomination possible were living in a 99% percent white state and went to their caucus and overwhelmingly supported this man and gave him his first victory in the primary and set the path he is on now.

I guess, despite the vitriol and anger and hate at these dispicable rallys, I hope and pray this woman also stops shedding tears because the whitest states gave Obama his biggest wins in the primaries and so, knows there are so many of us white people who support and are working to see Obama in office.

See, for us, it's a different thing.  It's so important to us to see him president because we know he is a man who will lead this country back from the abyss and make it good again.  He will bring much needed fresh air and a new view of how things are done.

Granted it is not the soul deep and earth shattering thing it is for AAs.  I cannot even imagine what it would be like to see this happen for an AA.  But, judging from pictures I've seen of the faces on the night of his nomination, I think we whites can get an idea.

 

 

 

 

 

What else is there to say? The made in Alaska Leona Helmsley story is coming to a close.  McCain - next time use the google when deciding what girl to pick for VP.

One note.

According to the Toledo Blade, Obama will hold a rally in Toledo, then use Maumee Bay State Park as the camping site until Wednesday's debate.

I first began to pay attention to politics in my early teens. I was 14 when Dr. King was murdered, and 14 when Senator Kennedy was murdered. I have watched both their dreams being trampled ever since, and I have been waiting for SOMEONE to make up for their loss. 

It is time to take our country back. No more tears, no more doubt. It is time to do whatever we can to bring our friends and families to the polls and say with one voice: Now is the time.

 

McCain trying to calm down the crowd and got booed.  It's his own fault for throwing away the last of what honor he had, and engaging in the scorched-earth, kitchen-sink strategy, as well as being too much of a coward to confront Obama to his face; hiding behind the skirts of his stick-insect wife and his Barbie-doll running mate.

On the BBC-America station, they had a correspondent interviewing a white woman about 65 years old, living in the rust belt on economic decline, saying why she wasn't going to vote for Obama.  She said she didn't know about him and brought up Rev. Wright.  The correspondent asked her point blank to admit whether or not she wasn't going to vote for the man because he's African-American.

The BBC reporter looked at the woman like she'd lost her mind; prefering to not vote for someone who was more qualified, rather than continue to vote against her own interests because she's a BIGOT.

That's an interview you won't see here in America, and the Brits are not impressed by "cute" but substance.

Field Hand has said it all for me. I'm not an African-American, I'm a white woman of considerable privilege and I am disgusted with those people screaming their hate and the foul demagogues who encourage them. Sarah Palin is a disgrace on the stump, calling a United States Senator a "terrorist" and a "liar". Barack Obama is a man of stature, an elected official, a United States Senator. No one would dare deny John McCain his titles, why is he permitting his surrogates to deny Senator Obama his? As for the Ayres business, if William Ayres is such a criminal why was he never charged or prosecuted for any crime?  

I actually supported McCain in 2000. I thought he was the best man and I was stunned at the revolting way the Bushies crushed his run. I considered him again this year but he lost my vote when Sarah Palin made her speech at the Republican Convention.

I'll be voting for Barack Obama and so will my mother, husband, daughter and anyone else we can convince between now and Nov. 4. You are not alone, Field Hand, and we'll all be celebrating with you when the best man wins.

After the RNC, I had some Republican friends who had been leaning Barack & were all about Palin, they told me they had changed their minds about voting for Obama. Today they all told me they will be voting for the Barack Obama, & my Republican husband has decided to change parties right after the election.

Yes We Can!

"If there is any 'hope' for our nation, it will be epitomized by the spirit of determined decency and respect. Well done, I've got your back--and if you grow weary I will take up the slack." What an inspiring post this is, and the comments as well. I really needed it today. I quote the comment above because it reminded me of something I used to know: that what Jesus said was, "Love one another, and bear one another's burdens." He didn't say anything about getting rich, persecuting gay people, hating immigrants, or acquiring a permanent majority party. He didn't direct his followers to foment hatred, attack opponents based on race or class, ration medical care based on employment status, or villianize anyone who is in any way "other." All he told us is "Love one another, and bear one another's burdens." I'm not a Christian anymore, but even non-Christians can see that the party most concerned with waving crosses and flags around has turned the Carpenter's words into dust. It's up to the rest of us to begin to live them once again.

Not that it matters, but I am single white male, voting for Barack in this election.

I signed on with Barack the day he announced.  His vision for the future, his ability to articulate the simmering anger we have all felt for so many years in hopeful, positive language immediately caught my vote.

I have not drunk the Kool-Aid; I recognize he is a politician and a human being.  Putting someone on a pedestal only sets yourself up for disillusionment/disappointment.

But what I immediately recognized in Barack was the perfect tonic, most immediately, to the past 8 years of Bush/Cheney. 

More broadly speaking, his improbable (and therefore very American) story set him apart from the traditional role of African American politicians.  I read Dreams From My Father and know he is most definitely black.

But he is also white and therefore not set apart or against the (for now) majority race.

This is not to say my support of Barack is based on skin color or Roger Cohen's weird fetish for what's in Barack's blood.  But were he wedded to the traditional Southern United States, African American politician story he would not be nearly as interesting and inspiring as he is.

No, what I sensed, what I recognized, was a truly unique opportunity for America to break from its past.  Its immediate past being the immediate need. 

And the overarching past being the greater impact.  As a black conservative commentator on Stephen Colber recently noted, children growing of age during an Obama administration will see this country in a fundamentally different way than any generation heretofore has.

Damn it all, Barack is one of us.  His story is an American story: doubt, despair, struggle, self-discovery, preserverance and, yes, hope.

Barack is perhaps the best thing to happen to America in a long long long time. 

Barack will win the election; I pray for our country that he can display the same crisp, clear leadership as president in leading our country as he has displayed in his campaign.

 

Thanks to Andrew Sullivan I found this blog.

I remember the last copters leaving the ambassy in Saigon on TV as one of the first political events of my life. We were ten and had started "Junior High" when most of us betted on a victory of Jimmy Charter. Since then I was always interested in American politics/history.

As a historien I studied mainly British colonial history/American history and one of the seminars a had taken was about the Civil War and Segregation in Political Science I studied the Constitution of the United States of America.

I`m white and European (Austria) so I`m only an observer in your elections and i can rougly imagine which feelings many of you have at this times.

When Clinton run for the presidentcy there had been tries to sell him as the legitime successor of JFK. But there were never this feeling.

Today - when like then the times are tough for many people around the world - Obama give many of us that feeling - within the USA but even around the rest of the world too.

The USA are still the hope for many and for many Europeans a worthy friend since 1945.

America stood for freedom against the Soviet Union and gave many hopes when democracy dwelled over most of Europe after 1989.

But sometimes it`s power and ignorance even of its friends frightens to death.

I remember the sympathy after 9/11 and the estrangement after the gloaming of the Iraq War.

I read many news-sites/blogs on the net - one is the NRO - the hate against Europe which you can find there is astonishing and so were the American politics of the last years.

So I hope for you and us that "That one" will bring us all nearer together again.

Good luck to all of you!

P.S. And hope that your vote will be count. ;-)

Obama is the dream realized and I hope he wins for the benefit of all.

 

Steve in GA

 And ironically, that "last tears" video brought tears to my eyes.  Beautiful.  Whoever you are that sent this, we've got your back.

 

I'm going back to my local Obama HQ with my wife on Monday.  And Thursday.  And Saturday and Sunday.  And every chance I get until Nov 4.  Today I called 104 people in Colorado.  I'm all in. 

 

Everyone reading this  - go work on the campaign for 3 hours.  Stand up for yourself.  This is it.  No excuses.

 

YES.  WE.  CAN.

Al, We've also been fighting the "War on[some]Drugs".

I'm still doing just that.

End Prohibition is my sig line.

peace, joe

Hi All,

I'm watching the Biden/Clinton rally in Scranton and don't you know Bill mentions Hill's FAILED run twice in his remarks.  Yes, he ends his remarks with "Barack has the best ideas, etc so you should support the Obama/Biden team" and he sounds like he means it, but still he needs to get over the primaries. 

At least Hillary makes her statement of STRONG support for Obama within the first paragraph before she goes into the "I" state - "I've spent 35 years, ... I've worked hard to get universal health care.

Actually, as I continue to listen, I think she's doing a very good job advocating for Barack (the democratic party?).  She's even modified one of her campaign refrains. After singing the praises of the Clinton adminstration - jobs, balanced budget, she saiys it took a democrat to clean up after a Bush and it'll take another democrat to clean up after another Bush.

Damn, she's really reaching her stride.  Gotta give the devil its due.  Very strong advocating IMO and the advocating is for the Barack/Obama ticket.  Deputizing the crowd to go talk to their neighbors and their family.  Said she's not asking them to marry Barack but to vote for him and themself.  Very, very strong, emotional performance IMO.

That said, I still don't trust her.

...to why I think North Carolina is turning blue:

I left my college in New Jersey early Saturday morning and arrived in the Mayfair neighborhood of Northeast Philly just in time to see Obama give a rally in front of a diner, one of three stops throughout the city he'd make that day. The speech was almost entirely about the economy. Once the rally ended volunteers were herding people over to sign up for canvassing. A man with a loudspeaker was imploring all the passersby to give their time to the campaign, that they personally could make a difference in the election. He exclaimed tounge-in-cheek (or maybe not?) that Chase Utley and Donavan McNab were volunteering, so they should too!

I'd already made arrangements to meet a different group a few blocks away, so we headed over to a Rite Aid parking lot where a local field organizer was holding an orientation for new canvassers. She gave background information on the area that we should keep in mind while going door-to-door. The most important piece of advice was that when talking to residents we should introduce ourselves not as volunteers for the Obama campaign, but for the Democratic party. Northeast Philly is home primarily to working-class Irish, Italian, and Polish voters that went strongly for Hillary in April's primary: 70-30%. They love Bill here, and they love how well they were doing in the 1990s. Regardless of how we feel about the Clintons personally, the field organizer stressed that while canvassing we are their biggest fans.

The first man I talked to was a strong Hillary supporter who is voting for Obama, solely because of economic issues. He said McCain didn't know what he was talking about, and Obama was going to do right by the middle class. However, this first man was an exception to the rule. When I asked most whites how they were voting, they'd say Democrat. Not Obama. You could tell that they might be a little uncomfortable with Barack himself, and maybe were considering McCain until the economy went under a few weeks ago. But they've voted Democrat all their lives, with varying degrees of enthusiasm, and although they would've preferred Bill and Hillary back in the White House, they were going to vote in their economic interest for Obama.

Sarah Palin was not popular here. People had respect for McCain and his service to the country, but not one person had a positive opinion of Palin. A few people who seemed like a few weeks ago might've been open to voting for McCain could not stand Palin at all, and she pushed them over the edge to Obama. Conversely, Biden seems to have had a positive impact on undecided and "leaners" who have reservations about Obama's experience; one woman recently decided on Obama and attributed Biden ask making her comfortable with her choice.

 

Yet among some people who would without a doubt vote for a generic Democrat, you could tell there was an unspoken unease about Obama that hasn't quite waned away enough. An undecided woman who said her most important issue was healthcare, thought that everybody should be covered and that insurance premiums were too high, wasn't sure about Obama because, she claimed, he sent protesters to a Palin rally in Texas. I don't know if that's true or not, or what exactly she was talking about, but it was such an arbitrary reason not to vote for someone that I couldn't help but deduce there was another element to her unease. I told her about Obama's universal healthcare plan and tax cuts for the middle class, and although she seemed to be leaning our way, something hadn't clicked quite yet. It was that woman's underlying discontent that I think is indicative of just how massive a role the economy has played here in impacting voter preference.

As an upper-middle class college student, the country's economic hardships right now are a kind of an abstraction. I know about the sub-prime mortgage crisis, but I never went around to talk to people who were having their homes foreclosed. I know about the credit crunch, but I've never met someone who couldn't get a loan. I know about rising fuel and food prices, but I don't often come in contact with people who are struggling to pay the bills. But now I've met them. Here in Northeast Philly is where current economic realities have really manifested. and deeply so. Main Street is hurting, and for the first time I saw it directly, face-to-face. These people need relief. They said they haven't seen it this bad in decades, maybe in their lifetimes. Jobs are being lost, cost of living is skyrocketing, and everyone is nervous. They're skeptical of the bailout and of Washington. For the the first time I saw the real people - "folks" - that don't need an economist to tell them that they're in a recession. These are the voters that Obama has been trying to court his entire campaign. They are the Reagan Democrats everyone was worrying wouldn't go over to Obama during the primaries. And these are the people that win elections.

I met a life-long Republican whose grandfather was a local politician. She liked McCain and under normal circumstances would've voted for him in a heartbeat. But when the conversation moved to her neighbor that lost a job and her doubt whether she could pay next month's bills, she said she was considering Obama. That's what's happening in Northeast Philly; it's why Obama is skyrocketing in the polls and converting these formerly hesitant working-class whites. They're scared, and the economy scares them much more than Barack Obama. 

I am a Scottish grandmother who joined the Barack Obama website and put on my own blog. Through this I have been in touch with a very passionate democrat called Danielle - she keeps me right on many things. As I told Danielle I am a conservative in my own country but under no circumstances could I ever vote for the Republican Party. Your President George W Bush has almost single handedly destroyed the credibility of your great country with a lot of support from John McCain. His legacy is the War on Iraq, your economy and I would even go further and say 9/11. He and his people should have known that this could happen - they were told. What does that say about the intelligence that John McCain keeps preaching about that he was certain that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Where was the intelligence, or should I say the missing intelligence, that did not tell President Bush and John McCain that Osama Bin Laden would strike. May God forgive them both. The war was based on lies and even when our British soldiers had Osama Bin Laden in their sights they were not allowed to take him out. Are you aware of this America? Well John McCain I have the right to ask you why not? However, when I first heard Barack Obama and I listen to him as often as I possibly can, I felt hope in my heart for the first time. Where ever I go or whoever I speak to in my country and friends in Ireland, we all say the same "This man has the courage, charisma, intelligence and genuine love for his country to turn things round and bring back to the American people a sense of decency, honour and compassion for all". What do I say about the behaviour of McCain and Palin - I have never witnessed such despicable behaviour by two politicians who are trying to convince the American people to vote for them. This would not be allowed in Scotland. Please President Clinton on behalf of Senators Obama and Biden stand up and discredit this behaviour. They are inciting violence - by keeping silent they have condoned. John McCain has been forced into a corner in the last day or two to speak out, something he is not happy to do. I noticed when he spoke to the lady the other day about her concern that Senator Obama was an Arab, he never pointed out to her that Senator Obama was an American. As for Sarah Palin I despise what she stands for. She has brought into your politics an area which we would call "guttersnipe tactics" - does this type of tactic now represent the Republican Party - it has to otherwise John McCain would have reprimanded her. As his VP nominee she represents him on all matters, or should do, so he is now tarred with the same brush. I wish with all my heart that I celebrate with you the election of President Obama on 5th November. I hope you do not mind my views - whatever happens on the 5th will affect my country as well so please America vote for Barack Obama. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Freda

I find myself thanking Freda quite often these days!  She has provided me with a rich view of the world; not just my own country.  If more people here would listen, they might hear a cry for Change and a Hope for a new beginning.  It appears that many fear change, they fear hope.  Not to worry; things CAN change, we CAN all get along!

I met Freda via mybarackobama.com after attending the Biden event at Linvilla Orchards in Media, PA and writing in my blog about it.  It's amazing how small the world has become via this wonderful outlet.  Obama's group has taken full advantage of technology and brought people together who would have known one another.  For that I am grateful!!  As for Freda's comments, I concur!  She shares my views and my passion for doing the right thing and pointing out where and when things are wrong or have gone awry.

 

The DESPICABLE NEOCON group of Republicans who are perpetrating hatred across this country will meet with Karma.  Karma is a wonderful thing and we just have to wait...I just hope that the secret service are protecting Obama and keep him from harms way.  I hope that the main stream media will point out that not only are Palin and McCain lying but they are TRYING to cover it up by LAME attempts to quell the mob. 

 

I will be working hard here in PA, please, I beg all of you to do the same to get Obama elected in 23 days.  I will be a poll watcher and I will provide rides to the polls as well in my district.  Every little bit helps!  Even if you could bring water or food to the local offices for the workers, that would be a tremendous help.  It will all be worth it in the end.

Let's all focus on the positive; just like Barack Obama does...take the high road.  It's not easy but it will be worth it!

 

 

Thanks to both of you for posting!

My sentiments exactly:

"...I listen to him as often as I possibly can, I felt hope in my heart for the first time. ....... "This man has the courage, charisma, intelligence and genuine love for his country to turn things round and bring back to the American people a sense of decency, honour and compassion for all'."

He does - and the honesty and pragmatism to get it done one day at a time.

 

So very glad you two are here.

 My mom was born in Scotland and I still have family there (Aberdeenshire, Peterhead). She became a citizen of U.S. 30 years ago but never voted. This year she registered to vote as a Non-Partison. She is voting for Barack. She is so fired up, I am so proud to be her daughter this year. She has her Obama bumper sticker on her Mercedes and the big Hope poster on her front window of her home. She talks to all her senior friends about our candidate and has even changed a couple of minds. Scottish women Barack too!

Thank you for your comments.  It is so affirming to read your words, comforting to know there are so many of us, kindred spirits working from our hearts for what we believe in.  Please join Field hands to continue working after we elect President Obama.

I lived in England for many years -and still treasure my days visiting Scotland. I love how this technology can bring us together. I'm going to look for Danielle's blog now!!!

This was my original message that got me in touch with Freda:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/daniellek/gGg4TY

Thank you for your kind words!  I am not sitting back and getting comfortable right now; things can change.  I listened to Rachel Maddow this morning and she reminds us that 21 days is an eternity in politics.  I am praying for Obama to do well tomorrow.  He has a steady hand and voice that I know will continue.  The world is ready for him; our country NEEDS him!

I am going to stay positive!  Lots of people to get to.  I have to say, I am happy to see that people are actually surprising me.  I was beginning to lose faith in my fellow countrymen but that has turned around...(hopefully for good).  It's wonderful to see that outside of the US that many people support Obama and that they see what we see.  Please keep up getting the word out!

God Bless....

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your comments.  In particular, I would like to thank Field Hand for bringing her story to our attention.   You are a lady of great courage and I have the utmost respect for you.   You are no longer on your own now, we are here supporting you 100%.   In my humble opinion we have to extend this family fighting for good over evil and join hands in order that no one, and I repeat no one, can ever separate us.   Please bring Field Hand's story to the attention of all your friends and family across America, unite in the one cause and that is to oppose the hatred which is emanating from the Republican Party and let them know that the good people of America and Scotland and in fact the whole world are against this type of behaviour.   Only yesterday, again at a Sarah Palin rally the word "kill" was heard - well no more.  May I ask you Al if it is within your powers to use your influence, your contacts and anyone else out there who will listen to highlight the evil which has come into this election and publicise it in every newspaper in the land and on every tv station until the day of the election - this must not be forgotten.   Let the previous Secretaries of State, senior politicians, business people, celebrities come out and stand united in opposing the death threats against our friend Barack Obama.   The good people of America must stand up against the hatred that is coming out of the mouths of Republican supporters.   The price of freedom is high but it is a price worth paying as we are doing it for all decent human beings across the world.   No more do we stand back and allow these kind of people to bully or frighten us.   So John McCain and Sarah Palin you have brought your party and your country into disrepute by not standing up and shouting down your supporters who threaten the life of Senator Obama.   That is now your legacy and it will never be forgotten.

 

Freda and Danielle

It's not just a wound now; it's a scar.  We can heal it and get past it by pointing out the extreme hatred/loathing, etc. being spewed.  We can rise above and be the example during the worst of times.  Obama has taught us that; grace under pressure.  It's just amazing to me that despite all of the chaos he is able to stay focused and not get rattled.  Can you imagine how hard it must be to "be on" all the time?  God Bless him!

 

The debate will be a non-issue; the rhetoric afterwards is what will be the issue.  Obama will be cool, calm, concise.  He has been consistent; even when all of us are screaming "take a punch"....he took the high road and for that I am truly grateful.  I have learned a valuable lesson here; good can win over evil.  Negative attacks can have blow back.  We are working hard here in Philly (despite threats, fake powder in envelopes, etc. from the "black helecopter devotees) to help this COUNTRY to elect the BEST person for the job; Barack Obama!  Keep up the great work!!!