If it's Sunday, it's Meet the Press, and in an election year, it's guaranteed to be an especially exciting episode of this historically invaluable NBC news program. But tragically, last week was the final time that these words were ever spoken by the show's most honored and long-running host.
As I found out while vacationing this weekend, and most people have already heard, Washington bureau chief and host of Meet the Press Tim Russert died of a heart attack last Friday. Today marked the first episode of Meet the Press in seventeen years that did not feature Russert and his trademark serious-but-jovial examination of the week's pressing issues. Although this is a blog about all things Obama, there is little doubt in my mind that Tim provided some of Barack Obama's most stirring moments in the public eye have been on Meet the Press. Like all of his guests on the show, Tim greeted Barack with the same 'tough-but-fair' interview that he is reputed for, and as a result, gave Barack opportunities to shine as well as feel humble. As a small tribute to Russert and the great political legacy he's leaving behind, I thought I'd post a tribute that Senator Obama paid to his friend and critic Tim Russert on NBC this weekend.
As a young person who often turns a very cynical eye to the news media, especially television journalism, I can think of no journalist that inspires as much hope for progress and truth as Tim Russert. Rest in peace, Tim.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Day Forty-Eight, June 3
If you managed to read a newspaper headline or tune into any network tv station tonight, you already know why tonight is one of the most important nights in Obama's presidential campaign run: it's the night he nudged over the line to claim the 2,118 delegates necessary to gain the Democratic nomination! Although the delegate milestone is a major step in his confirmation as the party's nominee, it doesn't clinch it just yet (keep reading). Nevertheless, this is definitely a joyous occasion, and Barack recognized it and claimed victory in a speech that aired nationally at around 8pm MST (I was at work; a portion of that speech can be viewed here). Obama also picked up a win in Montana's state primary, according to CNN estimates.
It's a great day to be an Obama supporter, and an even better day to have politically-likeminded friends. But before we start patting ourselves on the back too much, the truth of the matter must be acknowledged: although Barack has the numbers in his favor, and has passed the quantifiable finish line, Hillary Clinton still has not withdrawn from the race. Senator Clinton, who won the South Dakota primary today (the final contest of a drawn-out electoral season), has been the focus of a swarm of rumors about her impending concession speech, but it didn't come tonight. This leaves Obama's flagbearers--and members of the Democratic party at large--in an awkward position. On one hand, we are compelled to do the right thing and allow her to carry on her fight as long as she chooses. It has been apparent for a long time that it was only a matter of time until Obama netted the required delegate total, and Hillary has still not given any indication that she's going to drop out yet. And in a way, that sort of passion is both unsurprising from her, but still commendable.
On the other hand, we have the plain reality of today's primary outcomes. In terms as varied as delegate counts to superdelegates to popular support to media coverage, Obama is the objective winner of the Democratic contest. It would take a series of miracles (or disasters) to undo the achievement that Obama has symbolically reached today. What sort of realistic claim can Hillary make to the Party that the nomination will still be in contention when the DNC rolls into town? As of tonight, Senator Clinton is still not making her concession speech (check it out), but logically, it will be a matter of weeks or days until she will back down and let the race between McCain and Obama take center stage. And no matter how much ground we've gained today, there is still a long march ahead toward the White House this November. However, the tone of Obama's speech today is enough to put chills up my spine, and makes me look forward to the work that's left to come.
So at the end of the day, today was a pretty nice day for Barack Obama and all his fans out there. But in spite of the passage of a very important campaign mile-marker, and the hope and confidence it may inspire for our country, it's also a day that presents a lot of interesting questions. How will this victory impact Barack's behavior for the remainder of his campaign? When Hillary does decide to bow out, what steps can she (and we) take to unite the party? What fun political Fruit Roll-Ups will John McCain's campaign roll out with next? We shall see. But no matter the answers, there can be no mistaking the growing feeling of hope that will continue to gain momentum across the country in the months ahead.
It's a great day to be an Obama supporter, and an even better day to have politically-likeminded friends. But before we start patting ourselves on the back too much, the truth of the matter must be acknowledged: although Barack has the numbers in his favor, and has passed the quantifiable finish line, Hillary Clinton still has not withdrawn from the race. Senator Clinton, who won the South Dakota primary today (the final contest of a drawn-out electoral season), has been the focus of a swarm of rumors about her impending concession speech, but it didn't come tonight. This leaves Obama's flagbearers--and members of the Democratic party at large--in an awkward position. On one hand, we are compelled to do the right thing and allow her to carry on her fight as long as she chooses. It has been apparent for a long time that it was only a matter of time until Obama netted the required delegate total, and Hillary has still not given any indication that she's going to drop out yet. And in a way, that sort of passion is both unsurprising from her, but still commendable.
On the other hand, we have the plain reality of today's primary outcomes. In terms as varied as delegate counts to superdelegates to popular support to media coverage, Obama is the objective winner of the Democratic contest. It would take a series of miracles (or disasters) to undo the achievement that Obama has symbolically reached today. What sort of realistic claim can Hillary make to the Party that the nomination will still be in contention when the DNC rolls into town? As of tonight, Senator Clinton is still not making her concession speech (check it out), but logically, it will be a matter of weeks or days until she will back down and let the race between McCain and Obama take center stage. And no matter how much ground we've gained today, there is still a long march ahead toward the White House this November. However, the tone of Obama's speech today is enough to put chills up my spine, and makes me look forward to the work that's left to come.
So at the end of the day, today was a pretty nice day for Barack Obama and all his fans out there. But in spite of the passage of a very important campaign mile-marker, and the hope and confidence it may inspire for our country, it's also a day that presents a lot of interesting questions. How will this victory impact Barack's behavior for the remainder of his campaign? When Hillary does decide to bow out, what steps can she (and we) take to unite the party? What fun political Fruit Roll-Ups will John McCain's campaign roll out with next? We shall see. But no matter the answers, there can be no mistaking the growing feeling of hope that will continue to gain momentum across the country in the months ahead.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Day Forty-Seven, May 28
As far as Obama's world goes, it doesn't get much more momentous than today. At least not as far as this blog is concerned. Because today Barack Obama paid a visit to the Mapleton Expeditionary School of the Arts in Thornton, the school I student taught at last fall and have been subbing at full-time since January. There are countless reasons that I have stuck with MESA (mainly the character of the student body and the world-class teaching faculty), but I never imagined that this would be one of them. Friday morning the staff was informed that the visit would be taking place, the story broke in the Denver Post over the Labor Day weekend, and today, the big day finally arrived, and it was as stunning as we all imagined.
I won't divulge the full itinerary of Obama's visit, but he started off the day by taking a tour of the school (lead by MESA director Mike Johnston, with guides representing the 8th and 11th grade classes), learning more about what the school does and makes its formula so successful. One of the reasons that the Obama camp was attracted to MESA is the fact that this year it was the first public high school in Colorado history to graduate 100% of its senior class and have them all admitted into a four-year college of university. After seeing his way around campus, Obama was invited to sit in on a class of 8th graders' passage portfolio presentations, a necessary step for every 8th, 10th, and 12th grader to move on to the next step of their education. Barack listened to two students practice their portfolios in front of the class, and then gave them feedback to improve their presentations for the real deal later this week (can you imagine a better judge to critique your public speaking skills?).
At lunchtime, the hour the entire school had been waiting for arrived, as Barack made his way to the school auditorium and gave a fantastic speech on his platforms on education reform, followed by a 30-minute question and answer session with audience members. Standing before MESA's inaugural graduating class--this year's seniors--Obama spoke passionately on points such as struggling inner city schools, the lightened role of standardized testing, and the demand to reform No Child Left Behind. He repeatedly touched on MESA as a model for what inner city schools can achieve with a dedicated staff, student body, and family members to push the model to success. "Recently, eighty-seven percent of Colorado teachers said that testing was crowding out subjects like music and art," Obama said in his opening remarks. "But we need to look no further than MESA to see that accountability does not need to come at the expense of a well-rounded education: it can help complete it. And it should." During the Q&A that followed his speech, audience members posed questions to Obama to tackle some of the specifics of his education policies. One recently-graduated member of the senior class asked Obama what he would do to aid children of illegal immigrants attend college.
Here is a video of the speech Obama gave to the audience at MESA:
One hell of a way to close out the school year, no? Before he left MESA's campus, Obama paid one last visit to the most important members of the MESA population: the students. Making a surprise appearance at a final school assembly at the end of the day, Obama posed for a group photograph with the school's staff (totally in there!), before commending the entire student body on their hard work and offering some encouraging remarks to next year's class of seniors. A common gripe overheard amongst MESA students today was the fact that they wouldn't even get to see or meet Obama, so what a treat it was for them to get an audience with him at the end of the day!
Of course, if the students were excited to see Obama in person, the staff at MESA were downright giddy. And with good cause. Political affiliations aside, a tremendous amount of work was completed by the staff in the two school days leading up to Barack's visit, and being the last day of school, it would've been understandable if staff members were simply running on fumes to finish the year. Instead, I have never seen a more enthusiastic, positive, and supportive team of teachers in my entire life. As he entered the school's gymnasium to address the students, Obama shook hands with faculty members before beginning his speech (I got a quick one in while trying to salvage a decent photo from his grand entrance). As he spoke, I began to think about how unforgettable the occasion was for those of us in attendance, but also what sort of message the visit gave about Obama as a candidate. I feel that today's visit is the only proof one needs to see that Obama recognizes not only the struggles thousands of schools in America are facing, but also the triumphs that we share. In his speech, Obama remarked how students in Denver today face competition all over the world, and that a good education is "no longer just a pathway to opportunity and success, but a prerequisite ". Tell it like it is, sir. We're all ears.
It was truly a school day to remember, and one that has given me enough fuel to keep this blog going for a long time to come. I've been scouring the net to try and find as much documentation of today's visit as possible, and I've uncovered a slideshow on CBS4, a detailed write-up of Obama's tour in the Rocky Mountain News, and a glowing account of the Senator's visit on the dailycamera.com All the photos I captured with my digital camera came out pretty blurry (or too far off to be worth a close look), but if I can get a hold of some better pictures, I'll post them.
What a day!
I won't divulge the full itinerary of Obama's visit, but he started off the day by taking a tour of the school (lead by MESA director Mike Johnston, with guides representing the 8th and 11th grade classes), learning more about what the school does and makes its formula so successful. One of the reasons that the Obama camp was attracted to MESA is the fact that this year it was the first public high school in Colorado history to graduate 100% of its senior class and have them all admitted into a four-year college of university. After seeing his way around campus, Obama was invited to sit in on a class of 8th graders' passage portfolio presentations, a necessary step for every 8th, 10th, and 12th grader to move on to the next step of their education. Barack listened to two students practice their portfolios in front of the class, and then gave them feedback to improve their presentations for the real deal later this week (can you imagine a better judge to critique your public speaking skills?).
At lunchtime, the hour the entire school had been waiting for arrived, as Barack made his way to the school auditorium and gave a fantastic speech on his platforms on education reform, followed by a 30-minute question and answer session with audience members. Standing before MESA's inaugural graduating class--this year's seniors--Obama spoke passionately on points such as struggling inner city schools, the lightened role of standardized testing, and the demand to reform No Child Left Behind. He repeatedly touched on MESA as a model for what inner city schools can achieve with a dedicated staff, student body, and family members to push the model to success. "Recently, eighty-seven percent of Colorado teachers said that testing was crowding out subjects like music and art," Obama said in his opening remarks. "But we need to look no further than MESA to see that accountability does not need to come at the expense of a well-rounded education: it can help complete it. And it should." During the Q&A that followed his speech, audience members posed questions to Obama to tackle some of the specifics of his education policies. One recently-graduated member of the senior class asked Obama what he would do to aid children of illegal immigrants attend college.
Here is a video of the speech Obama gave to the audience at MESA:
One hell of a way to close out the school year, no? Before he left MESA's campus, Obama paid one last visit to the most important members of the MESA population: the students. Making a surprise appearance at a final school assembly at the end of the day, Obama posed for a group photograph with the school's staff (totally in there!), before commending the entire student body on their hard work and offering some encouraging remarks to next year's class of seniors. A common gripe overheard amongst MESA students today was the fact that they wouldn't even get to see or meet Obama, so what a treat it was for them to get an audience with him at the end of the day!
Of course, if the students were excited to see Obama in person, the staff at MESA were downright giddy. And with good cause. Political affiliations aside, a tremendous amount of work was completed by the staff in the two school days leading up to Barack's visit, and being the last day of school, it would've been understandable if staff members were simply running on fumes to finish the year. Instead, I have never seen a more enthusiastic, positive, and supportive team of teachers in my entire life. As he entered the school's gymnasium to address the students, Obama shook hands with faculty members before beginning his speech (I got a quick one in while trying to salvage a decent photo from his grand entrance). As he spoke, I began to think about how unforgettable the occasion was for those of us in attendance, but also what sort of message the visit gave about Obama as a candidate. I feel that today's visit is the only proof one needs to see that Obama recognizes not only the struggles thousands of schools in America are facing, but also the triumphs that we share. In his speech, Obama remarked how students in Denver today face competition all over the world, and that a good education is "no longer just a pathway to opportunity and success, but a prerequisite ". Tell it like it is, sir. We're all ears.
It was truly a school day to remember, and one that has given me enough fuel to keep this blog going for a long time to come. I've been scouring the net to try and find as much documentation of today's visit as possible, and I've uncovered a slideshow on CBS4, a detailed write-up of Obama's tour in the Rocky Mountain News, and a glowing account of the Senator's visit on the dailycamera.com All the photos I captured with my digital camera came out pretty blurry (or too far off to be worth a close look), but if I can get a hold of some better pictures, I'll post them.
What a day!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Day Forty-Six, May 20
For those of you out there still paying attention (to the national news media, not your humble narrator, of course), a lot has been going on in Obamaland since I made my last post. In order to bring the blog up to speed, I'll be posting three videos that help encapsulate just how much progress Barack's campaign has made in a little under a week, and provide a glimpse into how this will impact his oncoming candidacy for the Democratic party.
First off, the news so HUGE it demands capital letters and a bold typeface to boot: John Edwards got off the fence, and we're delighted to have him on our side! Ever since he withdrew his own bid for the presidency way back on January 30, Edwards has been very upright about his oath to keep his lips sealed until he was good and ready to lend his support to either Hillary or Barack. At a campaign stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan last Wednesday, Edwards gave a speech introducing the candidate to his rabid audience and finally put a country of Obamaphiles' worries to rest by coming out for our candidate. A perennial 'good guy' in both 2004 and 2008's Democratic races, Edwards' decision to show his support for Barack is great news, and gives major push for the Obama campaign, especially in the South (Edwards has served as a Senator, representing the voters of North Carolina). Like many of the other celebrity delegates who have come out in favor of Obama this year, Edwards' endorsement speech consisted of several glowing descriptions of the candidate, but in true Edwards fashion, his seventeen-minute speech focused on the issues that he is passionate about (education, poverty, health care), and societal ills that Obama can help solve as President. Here is a full length capture of that speech:
Next on this post's agenda is a breathtaking sight: at a rally held this Monday in Portland, OR, Obama drew over 75,000 people to hear him speak! The impressive--nay, astounding--collection of folks gathered in a single rally is a great example of how Obama's gaining momentum not just on tv news programs and in the papers, but in real, demonstrative ways. People are coming out more than ever, in real life, to see the man spread his message. If this many people are coming out to see him deliver the goods now, still six months before the general election, it makes me giddy to think what we will be a part of when the DNC comes to our front door in August.
Besides the sheer awesome glimpse of an ocean of people coming out Obama (and in spite of the forced twang in the background music), another promising side to this video is the tone of Barack's rhetoric. With his nomination as good as sealed by now, Obama has shifted his tone back to the more hopeful, inclusive type of speech that gained him national notoriety earlier in the year. In a quote taken from the clip, Obama said, "This campaign and this election are not about Barack Obama. It's not about Hillary Clinton. It's not about John McCain. It's about your hopes, it's about your dreams. It's about what's possible when a new generations of Americans stand up and say, 'We're not gonna settle for what is, we're gonna imagine what might be.'" The rest of that quote, and a glimpse of its landmark audience, can be viewed here:
Finally, and most pertinently tonight, it would be criminal to create a post without acknowledging Obama's victory in today's Oregon Democratic primary. Besides overtaking the state's polls by a margin of sixteen points, (cnn.com estimates here, as of 11pm MST Tuesday night), today Obama has also reached a significant goal in the delegate count, having now claimed over half of the pledged delegates up for grabs in the Democratic race. In other words, as analysts have been phoning in for several weeks now, it is now mathematically impossible for Hillary to win her party's nomination (at least in the delegate count). Although it must also be pointed out that Senator Clinton came away with a handy victory in the Kentucky primary (65-30 points), also held today, and that neither candidate is going to claim the 2,015 delegates needed to definitively seal the primary. However, taking the majority lead is an important accomplishment, and provides yet another mile marker in how far this campaign has come in just over a year of politicking. Wolf Blitzer's beard was among the first to report the nab here, while Obama himself addressed this noteworthy milestone at a speech in Des Moines, Iowa, where his presidential bid really took off just five months ago:
First off, the news so HUGE it demands capital letters and a bold typeface to boot: John Edwards got off the fence, and we're delighted to have him on our side! Ever since he withdrew his own bid for the presidency way back on January 30, Edwards has been very upright about his oath to keep his lips sealed until he was good and ready to lend his support to either Hillary or Barack. At a campaign stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan last Wednesday, Edwards gave a speech introducing the candidate to his rabid audience and finally put a country of Obamaphiles' worries to rest by coming out for our candidate. A perennial 'good guy' in both 2004 and 2008's Democratic races, Edwards' decision to show his support for Barack is great news, and gives major push for the Obama campaign, especially in the South (Edwards has served as a Senator, representing the voters of North Carolina). Like many of the other celebrity delegates who have come out in favor of Obama this year, Edwards' endorsement speech consisted of several glowing descriptions of the candidate, but in true Edwards fashion, his seventeen-minute speech focused on the issues that he is passionate about (education, poverty, health care), and societal ills that Obama can help solve as President. Here is a full length capture of that speech:
Next on this post's agenda is a breathtaking sight: at a rally held this Monday in Portland, OR, Obama drew over 75,000 people to hear him speak! The impressive--nay, astounding--collection of folks gathered in a single rally is a great example of how Obama's gaining momentum not just on tv news programs and in the papers, but in real, demonstrative ways. People are coming out more than ever, in real life, to see the man spread his message. If this many people are coming out to see him deliver the goods now, still six months before the general election, it makes me giddy to think what we will be a part of when the DNC comes to our front door in August.
Besides the sheer awesome glimpse of an ocean of people coming out Obama (and in spite of the forced twang in the background music), another promising side to this video is the tone of Barack's rhetoric. With his nomination as good as sealed by now, Obama has shifted his tone back to the more hopeful, inclusive type of speech that gained him national notoriety earlier in the year. In a quote taken from the clip, Obama said, "This campaign and this election are not about Barack Obama. It's not about Hillary Clinton. It's not about John McCain. It's about your hopes, it's about your dreams. It's about what's possible when a new generations of Americans stand up and say, 'We're not gonna settle for what is, we're gonna imagine what might be.'" The rest of that quote, and a glimpse of its landmark audience, can be viewed here:
Finally, and most pertinently tonight, it would be criminal to create a post without acknowledging Obama's victory in today's Oregon Democratic primary. Besides overtaking the state's polls by a margin of sixteen points, (cnn.com estimates here, as of 11pm MST Tuesday night), today Obama has also reached a significant goal in the delegate count, having now claimed over half of the pledged delegates up for grabs in the Democratic race. In other words, as analysts have been phoning in for several weeks now, it is now mathematically impossible for Hillary to win her party's nomination (at least in the delegate count). Although it must also be pointed out that Senator Clinton came away with a handy victory in the Kentucky primary (65-30 points), also held today, and that neither candidate is going to claim the 2,015 delegates needed to definitively seal the primary. However, taking the majority lead is an important accomplishment, and provides yet another mile marker in how far this campaign has come in just over a year of politicking. Wolf Blitzer's beard was among the first to report the nab here, while Obama himself addressed this noteworthy milestone at a speech in Des Moines, Iowa, where his presidential bid really took off just five months ago:
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Day Forty-five, May 14
Alright, so anybody who's been paying attention to this blog (who is anybody, really) may have noticed that I haven't updated my posts since last Friday, giving a sense of false advertising to the journal's very name. This is because 'real life' stuff has recently had a tendency of getting in my way of posting on here on a regular basis, and since this isn't the first time I've fallen behind on my daily commitment, I've decided to cut back a little bit on the blogging. The downside is that I won't be as informed or rapidly up-to-date on all things Obama. The good news is that each post will return to the original intent of the blog: to post something inspiring about the candidate as they come along. So for at least a while, it's going to be the Bi-daily Dose of Hope or the As-Often-As-I-Can-Manage Dose of Hope, but like I said, the content should hopefully improve* as a result.
* This also means a lot less picking on Hillary or McCain, which quite a few of my most recent posts were thinly-veiled diatribes against.
As for today's content, I'd like to include a lengthy but revealing article from last month's Time magazine. I'd originally planned this feature to coincide with Mother's Day on Sunday (love you, mom!), but the , written by Amanda Ripley, is certainly worthwhile enough to post it a few days after the holiday. You can click here to start reading the article.
In the midst of Obama's almost certain claim as the chosen nominee for his party, the media is giving more air to the candidate's issues, less attention is being paid to the people that surround him. In certain cases, like Reverend Wright, this is allowing Obama to continue picking up political speed uninhibited. However, this also means that a part of the more human side of Barack is getting lost in the politics of today. Much has been made of Obama's Kenyan-born father, Barack Obama Sr., who returned to Africa without his family when Barack was only a child, but that more tender, human side to the Obama family story is there: the tale of Obama's mother, S. Ann Sutero. At a time where Obama is still (unbelievably) being typecast as an 'elitist', one needs look no further than the story of his mother's life to see just how rocky life has been for Barack. Speaking about his mother in the article, Obama told Ripley, "When I think about my mother. I think that there was a certain combination of being very grounded in who she was, what she believed in. But also a certain recklessness. I think she was always searching for something. She wasn't comfortable seeing her life confined to a certain box."
Throughout the article, Ripley traces the course of the rest of Stanley's (her father had wanted a boy, she soon settled on the name 'Ann' instead) life, and the values she imparted in her son. From the Sutero family's move to Hawaii just after Ann graduated from high school to falling in love with Barack's father to the impetus that took the family to Indonesia just a few years later, Ann Sutero's story is a compelling one. It also an eye-opening glimpse into some of the core values that her son still carries today: generosity, education, tolerance, devotion and (you guessed it) hope. In the article, the author quotes one of Ann's friends Nancy Peluso. "When Barack smiles," says Peluso, "there's just a certain Ann look. He lights up in a particular way that she did." From collecting food stamps in Indonesia to finishing her 1,000 page dissertation in the field of anthropology in her 50's, this is easily the most rewarding as well as surprising article I've included in this blog thus far. If you want to know where Obama got some of the inspiration that pushes him forward today, I can't recommend it enough.
* This also means a lot less picking on Hillary or McCain, which quite a few of my most recent posts were thinly-veiled diatribes against.
As for today's content, I'd like to include a lengthy but revealing article from last month's Time magazine. I'd originally planned this feature to coincide with Mother's Day on Sunday (love you, mom!), but the , written by Amanda Ripley, is certainly worthwhile enough to post it a few days after the holiday. You can click here to start reading the article.
In the midst of Obama's almost certain claim as the chosen nominee for his party, the media is giving more air to the candidate's issues, less attention is being paid to the people that surround him. In certain cases, like Reverend Wright, this is allowing Obama to continue picking up political speed uninhibited. However, this also means that a part of the more human side of Barack is getting lost in the politics of today. Much has been made of Obama's Kenyan-born father, Barack Obama Sr., who returned to Africa without his family when Barack was only a child, but that more tender, human side to the Obama family story is there: the tale of Obama's mother, S. Ann Sutero. At a time where Obama is still (unbelievably) being typecast as an 'elitist', one needs look no further than the story of his mother's life to see just how rocky life has been for Barack. Speaking about his mother in the article, Obama told Ripley, "When I think about my mother. I think that there was a certain combination of being very grounded in who she was, what she believed in. But also a certain recklessness. I think she was always searching for something. She wasn't comfortable seeing her life confined to a certain box."
Throughout the article, Ripley traces the course of the rest of Stanley's (her father had wanted a boy, she soon settled on the name 'Ann' instead) life, and the values she imparted in her son. From the Sutero family's move to Hawaii just after Ann graduated from high school to falling in love with Barack's father to the impetus that took the family to Indonesia just a few years later, Ann Sutero's story is a compelling one. It also an eye-opening glimpse into some of the core values that her son still carries today: generosity, education, tolerance, devotion and (you guessed it) hope. In the article, the author quotes one of Ann's friends Nancy Peluso. "When Barack smiles," says Peluso, "there's just a certain Ann look. He lights up in a particular way that she did." From collecting food stamps in Indonesia to finishing her 1,000 page dissertation in the field of anthropology in her 50's, this is easily the most rewarding as well as surprising article I've included in this blog thus far. If you want to know where Obama got some of the inspiration that pushes him forward today, I can't recommend it enough.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Day Forty-four, May 9
Here's another reason to support Senator Obama's bid for the presidency: the man can do math. And on a day like today, that sort of thing comes in handy. The reason's as important as learning your multiplication tables, but much quicker to figure out: today he picked up nine superdelegates. In just a few short hours this afternoon, superdelegates all over the United States were jumping into the ring for Obama, devouring Senator Clinton's narrow lead in no time. Nine supers in a single day is important record in recent months of the Democratic race, and one that is only helping Obama gain steam in the days following what may have been the table-turning primaries in Indiana and North Carolina. The most important part of the equation is that these superdelegates bring Obama's count up to 271, a mere one-half of a superdelegate of Hillary's total*. Although Senator Clinton also picked up one superdelegate's endorsement today, Obama is currently leading the overall delegate count 1,859.5 delegates, to 1,697. That math could be what it takes to make Obama his party's official candidate before the DNC comes to Denver three months from now.
To put this gain into better perspective, on the day before Super Tuesday, Senator Clinton was leading the superdelegate count 169-63. What a difference a few months can make!
As reported in our own Denver Post today (via the Associated Press), superdelegates from the country have come out to stand behind Obama's run for the Oval Office. A few of them have even defected from the Hillary camp (yet again) to board the Hope train right before it gains full steam this summer. New Jersey representative Donald Payne originally came out for Senator Clinton's campaign on January 1st, but was one of the nine superdelegates to lend his support to Obama today. Payne summed up his switch to Obama, saying, "After careful consideration, I have reached the conclusion that Barack Obama can best bring about the change that our country so desperately wants and needs." He is the tenth superdelegate to defect to Obama's campaign this year; so far, Obama has not lost any of his supporters to Senator Clinton. Obama also picked up an endorsement from The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), a Washington D.C.-based workers' union. Said John Gage, president of the AFGE, "Our people, I think, recognize the enthusiasm and vitality behind Senator Obama's campaign." It seemed to be an easy choice for the union, according to Gage, who went on to say "I think it's time we start really focusing in on McCain, who just has a terrible record when it comes to federal employees." Amen, brother. And we might just take a few more of those superdelegates with us!
* Can someone please explain to me why delegates are being split between the two candidates, accounting for a .5 lead? I missed this when it happened last month.
To put this gain into better perspective, on the day before Super Tuesday, Senator Clinton was leading the superdelegate count 169-63. What a difference a few months can make!
As reported in our own Denver Post today (via the Associated Press), superdelegates from the country have come out to stand behind Obama's run for the Oval Office. A few of them have even defected from the Hillary camp (yet again) to board the Hope train right before it gains full steam this summer. New Jersey representative Donald Payne originally came out for Senator Clinton's campaign on January 1st, but was one of the nine superdelegates to lend his support to Obama today. Payne summed up his switch to Obama, saying, "After careful consideration, I have reached the conclusion that Barack Obama can best bring about the change that our country so desperately wants and needs." He is the tenth superdelegate to defect to Obama's campaign this year; so far, Obama has not lost any of his supporters to Senator Clinton. Obama also picked up an endorsement from The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), a Washington D.C.-based workers' union. Said John Gage, president of the AFGE, "Our people, I think, recognize the enthusiasm and vitality behind Senator Obama's campaign." It seemed to be an easy choice for the union, according to Gage, who went on to say "I think it's time we start really focusing in on McCain, who just has a terrible record when it comes to federal employees." Amen, brother. And we might just take a few more of those superdelegates with us!
* Can someone please explain to me why delegates are being split between the two candidates, accounting for a .5 lead? I missed this when it happened last month.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Day Forty-three, May 8
In another post that will suggest I'm somehow running out of things to be genuinely hopeful about when it comes to Obama, today I'd like to give some recognition to one of the lesser-reported aspects of Barack's lifestyle: his taste in beverages. First up, his breakfast drink of choice. In a country gone mad for caffeinated beverages, here is a man who stands up to the Starbucks' and Folgers' of the world. The following is an excerpt from a discussion between Chris Matthews and David Schuster on the April 11th episode of Hardball:
But gloating about your candidate's preference of juice over coffee is a little smug, right? That's why I'm also taking advantage of the recent photo of Obama toasting his North Carolina victory in Raleigh bar with a beer in his hand.
That beer he's sipping? None other than Pabst Blue Ribbon. Although I have a 'take it or leave it' policy on PBR, and I doubt he'll be keeping it on tap in the White House, still, it's a nice gesture. And a smooth, canned aftertaste!
Hear that, coffee addicts? Your vitamin c intake is limited at best, and your days are numbered! As a fellow abstainer of the java (and OJ addict), I can't help but feel my hope glands swell ever so slightly, yet sillily, whenever I pour my glass of Tropicana every morning.SHUSTER: Well, here's the other thing that we saw on the tape, Chris, is that, when Obama went in, he was offered coffee, and he said, "I'll have orange juice."
MATTHEWS: No.
SHUSTER: He did.
And it's just one of those sort of weird things. You know, when the owner of the diner says, "Here, have some coffee," you say, "Yes, thank you," and, "Oh, can I also please have some orange juice, in addition to this?" You don't just say, "No, I'll take orange juice," and then turn away and start shaking hands. That's what happens [unintelligible] --
MATTHEWS: You don't ask for a substitute on the menu.
SHUSTER: Exactly.
MATTHEWS: David, what a regular guy. You could do this. Anyway, thank you, David Shuster. I mean, go to the diners.
But gloating about your candidate's preference of juice over coffee is a little smug, right? That's why I'm also taking advantage of the recent photo of Obama toasting his North Carolina victory in Raleigh bar with a beer in his hand.
That beer he's sipping? None other than Pabst Blue Ribbon. Although I have a 'take it or leave it' policy on PBR, and I doubt he'll be keeping it on tap in the White House, still, it's a nice gesture. And a smooth, canned aftertaste!
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