OBAMA WINS!
Submitted by Stephen Rockwell on Thu, 01/03/2008 - 21:46
I've been in between Obama, Edwards and Biden throughout the last year. I'm happy that the candidate is not Hillary Clinton. I think her inability to admit a mistake on her vote for the war is inexcusable. She is the establishment candidate in a year where Americans are yearning for substantial change.
Folks are energized by Obama and Edwards for different reasons....Obama a message of hope, Edwards a message of fighting corporate power...both anti-establishment and messages of change from different vantage points.
On the other side, also of particular interest to us progressive Christians the Republican winner, a conservative fundamentalist Christian. Looking forward to challenging him.
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3 Front Runners
Congratulations to Obama on his win. He worked hard for the votes and deserved the win.
My candidate Biden just dropped out, so for now I'm going to switch to Richardson. But I'm not sure if he's going to do any better in New Hampshire. I'm delaying as much as I can on choosing on the 3 front runners. I actually like all 3, but there are things about them that make me hesitant. Most people seem to want someone who could offer something new, but I'm actually looking for some experience and the ability to enact ideas. I like Obama and Edwards and their ideas, but I'm very wary about them having only a 1 term Senate experience.
I guess my hesitancy stems from what I know of the Carter presidency. Because of the Watergate backlash, Carter came into office with huge Democratic majorities in both the House and the Senate. He didn't have much experience in Washington though, and even though he was an honest and intelligent man, he couldn't get much done. Democrats in Congress eventually grew disillusioned with Carter and Ted Kennedy staged a revolt. The Democratic infighting got Reagan into office in 1980.
I guess that's why I'd lean towards Hillary, if I had to choose among the three. She's more a centrist than a liberal, but she knows how to yield power and get things done. I like Obama and Edwards' ideas, but they'll have to convince me that they know how to implement their ideas through Congress.
Hillary Is a Liberal in Good Standing.
And as I will explain in full detail within the next week, why I now fully and unequivocally support her candidacy for president.
I too was impressed by both
I too was impressed by both Huckabee and Obama. I think it was Bill Clinton who said that Huckabee is the only Republican candidate that can smile and tell a joke. Huckabee comes across as a likable nice guy. People don't vote with their logical mind, they vote with emotion. Keeping this in mind, Huckabee could be a formidable challenger to the Dems. Big Money doesn't like him though. He is too populist. He is definetly not the first choice of the powers that be in the Republican party.He is feuding right now with Rush Limbaugh, a mouthpiece for the party.
I agree that Obama's acceptance speech was great. He definetly has charisma. Has he been playing it "safe" of late? Everything I have read or seen during the Iowa campaign has been pretty benign or non-controversial.
Big Brother media does not like John Edwards. That is obvious. Even after his 30% second place finish, we were told over and over that he doesn't have a chance now becasue he didn't win. Never mind that he was outspent 6 to 1 and still gave the showing that he did. One of the methods that MSM uses is repetition. They give the same message over and over. If the voter hears it enought times on enough different networks and radio station, then it must true.
I think we Progressive Christians are reall going to be in the thick of things as religion becomes a bigger and bigger issue. We have got to get out there and let people know that faith is about a lot more than abortion, homophobia, and killing for Jesus.
More reflection on the caucuses
I watched the speeches last night. I must say that Huckabee was impressive. For folks thinking that Huckabee is an 88 Pat Robertson flash in the pan which I heard amongst the punditry last night, they are wrong. His message is folksy, its about change, and populist in addressing mainstream folks who are dealing with economic challenges of oil prices, mortgages, etc. Huckabee said little about his evangelical point of view. He tried to speak not just to Republicans, but to Democrats and independents. I think he did so effectively.
On the flip side, Obama's speech was soaring. His best speech since the 04 Convention. He offered himself as candidate for change and for unity across party lines. He brought out thousands of independents and even some Republicans so his appeal is broad. I found his speech quite moving. He's injecting a sense of unifying idealism non-existent in our politics since Bobby Kennedy ran in 1968.
Obama and the speech
It was a good speech although I only read it, courtesy of Janet, rather than heard it.
I did hear an excerpt from other comments he made after the caucus results were in -- and they bothered me a little. Perhaps it was only the overenthusiasm of the moment but it was a little too close to Bush's over-reaching for comfort:
"...we will remake America. And then we will save the world."
I'd settle for some improvements here and for an attempt to undo some of the damage to the world that the US has been inflicting. Saving the world is still a little beyond us.
Humbly going about the work of healing the world, as in tikkun olam, is another matter entirely, however.
Hearing was half the fun
You missed something just reading it, but I didn't know how to show the rolling cadence of Obama's phrasing.
There are several places I might call overblown, or really over reaching, as I read the transcript, that I never noticed last night. Or even this morning when I read that transcript the first time, I was still hearing Obama's voice.
Here. Come along with me...
Picture yourself in the tent revival, the fan from the funeral home grasped tight in your hot sticky hand, just trying to stir a little air, those tents sure did get hot on those early summer nights, didn't they? But anyway, put yourself there, don't worry about the mosquitoes or the chiggers, I've taken care of those for you. Now fast forward about two-thirds of the way through the sermon, to where the preacher shifts from the woes and ills of this sin-laden world to the glory is coming soon, oh yes it is. Start rolling with that preacher man, as his voice rises and falls and rises and falls, but each rise just a bit higher than the last falling off. And he's got you with him, got you right in his hip pocket got you right on the edge of that wooden bench breathing in time with him. And glory, yes glorrrry! it comes in the morning, yes, child, the glory is a coming. And you ARE on the mountaintop, with your neck hairs plastered to the back of your shirt, the grass tickling your ankles and the twilight stars now in full light behind the speaker's podium and the choir.
When Barack Obama is in his full oratorical power, his phrasing is just like that guest preacher in the old tent that summer you were 14. And you just don't notice a candidate talking about this moment in history, referring to himself, don't notice the grandiose talk of saving the world, don't notice anything but you believe, oh yes you do, you believe this can happen for the skinny kid with the funny name, can happen because this is America and you'll do anything to help make it so. Because you want it so, not just for him, not just for the party, you want it to be so for you, you want to live in that America of Obama's vision.
Or at least that's how it was for me.
Just the beginning
It seems like a good time to remind ourselves that this is just the first step on a road that is the same distance as in prior years, it's just that the speed limit is higher. So those with the fastest cars will likely benefit. With that in mind, Edwards' showing is important considering how much he was outspent, so maybe his car will be getting some improvements for the rest of the race. The same must be said about Huckabee.
Much has been said about the extended primary season, but the front-loading of the primaries will more likely have the opposite effect. Those with the cash to campaign on multiple fronts will continue to compete. And the American fascination with watching losers walk away (read "reality" TV) will be fed by seeing candidate after candidate get "voted off the island."
Here's hoping that the radical gadflies hold on despite the odds. There is worth in hearing from Kucinich and Paul as this campaign progresses.
Obama is my hope
Ron Paul had a definitely respectable showing in Iowa. As my favorite in the Republican field (is that faint praise or what?) I was excited to see his numbers.
Obama is my candidate, has been since he announced. And I sat down in front of his announcement speech undecided. I usually am undecided until Super Tuesday when I'm faced with my own ballot and must make a decision, but not this time. I don't remember what decided me in that speech, it probably wasn't any one thing. I just know I haven't cared this much about a primary candidate since 1968.
One other thing surprises me, I thought it was just me personally who feels almost afraid to hope, afraid to give my whole heart to my candidate this time, but on the TV last night, then here today, RFK is mentioned with Obama. Is it more than just sheer emotion that calls that comparison? For me it is just my feelings, for Obama like they were for Bobby.