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Barack Obama For President
On Monday, March 17th, presidential politics as we know it changed dramatically in this country. On that day a presidential candidate had the audacity to usher in the adult era in presidential discourse. On that day one candidate decided to talk to the American people as if their opinion mattered. He spoke in whole paragraphs and complete thoughts. He spoke as if he were confident that the American public would have the attention span to follow him through to the end of the speech. No thirty second sound-bytes. No poll-tested emotion-baiting words like “evildoers” or “axis of evil”. Instead he delivered a sincere, eloquent, magnificent speech designed to appeal to the better angels of our natures. That speech was courageous. That candidate was Barack Obama. That speech was on racism in America. Barack Obama should be the next President of the United States.
Barack Obama has conducted his quest for the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party with dignity and class. Regardless of whether he was up or down, winning or losing, out-debating Hillary or being out-debated by Hillary, Barack was always the same cool, collected individual. Unlike Al Gore when he ran against Bush in 2000, Barack did not change his personality in response to his performance in the last debate. He was always the same sure-handed and confident candidate. He has shown great patience. I remember during one debate when Tim Russert pursued a totally unfair line of questioning about the fact that anti-semitic Louis Farrakhan had endorsed Barack. Tim seemed to think that Barack was responsible for anything Farrakhan said because they shared the same skin color. I wonder if Tim will pursue the same kind of line when some Ku Klux Klan nut endorses McCain because their skin color is the same. Somehow I think not.
The “guilt by association” crowd was in full swing in mid-March in their attempt to bring Barack down. Led by Fox news earlier in the month, and exploding to a crescendo on all the networks and cable outlets by Friday, March 14th, was the effort to hold Barack responsible for everything his pastor, Reverend Wright, ever said. Shamelessly the media participated in this McCarthyism by asking Barack what he discussed with the Reverend and when did he discuss it. This was clearly the first “swift-boating” of Barack Obama. Unlike Mike Dukakis when he was “Willie Hortoned”, Barack decided to respond. Unlike John Kerry he didn’t wait 20 days. And what a glorious response. Barack made me proud to be a progressive Democrat again, and quite frankly that’s a feeling I haven’t had in a long time.
The Democratic Party produced three exceptional finalists in this year’s presidential derby. I would be remiss not to mention Hillary Clinton and John Edwards. A word of full disclosure is in order here: I was slated to be on the ballot as a John Edwards delegate. The thing about John was that he started and ended his campaign in the infamous 9th ward of New Orleans. I found that admirable. He talked about the poor and the disenfranchised. And let’s be honest, we haven’t heard the words “corporate greed” since he left the race. John conducted his campaign with class. Like Hillary Clinton he had the baggage of his Iraq War authorization vote. Unlike Hillary, he apologized for it. While he had a great record on labor issues and truly was a friend of the American worker, John had a less than sterling record in other areas, pretty much behaving like a southern moderate. All in all though, I’m glad he was there.
Hillary Clinton is another case indeed. She seems to be a lightning rod. People either love her or hate her. I like Hillary Clinton. I’ve always admired her as a pioneer and trailblazer going to political heights that no woman has achieved in this country. She’s capable, intelligent and would probably make a fine president. And the feminist side of me really wants a woman to be president. Many Democrats are mad about her tactics in this race. I am not. They cite her 3 a.m. phone ringing ad and her throw everything but the kitchen sink strategy at Barack. I salute her for it. I’m tired of “lose like gentlemen” Democrats. I would have liked to see this kind of fight in Adlai Stevenson, Jimmy Carter, Mike Dukakis, and John Kerry. As the great poet, Dylan Thomas, said, “Do not go softly into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. But do not go softly into that good night.” A modern pundit might say, “Politics ain’t beanbag”. Besides, after barely breaking into a sweat to beat Alan Keyes, Barack needed a tough challenge to get him ready for the fall.
Barack Obama must be our next president. Why? Because a politician of this caliber comes along only so often. In my book, the last one was Bobby Kennedy in 1968. Like Bobby, Barack has a way of making an emotional connection with the American people. Like FDR, he’ll need that connection to have the American people pressure a lobbyist-ridden Congress on behalf of progressive change. Barack has a very strong appeal among young voters and young voters are always the future. We should remember that young voters gave Bush his biggest majorities. Here is a man who has the potential to reverse all that. Like JFK he asks us to be better than we are. And he does it in a way that often sends shivers up my spine. He’s shown this old cynic that someone can still reach my heart and make me believe again. He has brought millions of voters into the Democratic primaries. Dare we turn our backs on this?
Can we progressives, Democrats and independents join together and create a mighty force to propel this man to the White House? Yes we can, Barack. Yes We Can!
For those of you who want to help Barack in Pennsylvania, listed below is contact information.
Pennsylvania State Headquarters - Center City
1500 Sansom Street, 4th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215-564-2010
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Delaware County Headquarters - Springfield
943 West Sproul Road
Springfield, PA 19064
610-544-3582
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Chester County Headquarters - West Chester
543 E. Gay Street
Gay Street Plaza
West Chester, PA 19380
610-430-0400
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Montgomery County Headquarters - Wynnewood
312 Lancaster Avenue
Wynnewood, PA 19067
610-645-7634
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Lehigh Valley - Easton Office
742 Washington St
Easton, PA 18042
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
North NEPA HQ
114 Wyoming Ave.
Scranton, PA 18503
570-877-3855
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Bucks County Headquarters - Doylestown
72 North Main Street
Doylestown, PA 18901
215-230-5495
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Lehigh Valley Regional Headquarters - Bethlehem
531 Main Street
Bethlehem, PA 18018
610-882-0242
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
South NEPA Regional Headquarters - Wilkes-Barre
41 S. Main Street
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
570-825-6794
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Berks County Headquarters - Reading
352 Penn Street
Reading, PA 19602
610-373-3600
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Lackawanna County Headquarters - Scranton
409 Lackawanna Avenue
Scranton, PA 18503
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Westmoreland County Headquarters - Greensburg
132 South Pennsylvania Avenue
Greensburg, PA 15601
724-850-8820
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Washington County Headquarters - Washington
92 North Main Street
Washington, PA 15301
913-602-4640
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Allentown Headquarters
1233 West Linden Street
Allentown, PA 18102
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Montgomery County- Plymouth Meeting Office
3031 Walton Road, Building A
Plymouth Meeting, PA 19642
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Williamsport Regional Headquarters
140 W 4th Street
Williamsport, PA 17701
570-323-1073
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Pittsburgh Headquarters
208 North Highland Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
412-363-1561
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Centre County Headquarters - State College
224 South Allen Street
State College, PA 16801
814-867-2689
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Harrisburg Regional Headquarters - Harrisburg
401 North 2nd Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
717-238-0808
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
York County Headquarters
280 West Market
York, PA 17401
401-536-4898
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Lancaster County Headquarters - Lancaster
240 Harrisburg Pike
Lancaster, PA 17603
717-945-6510
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
South Central Regional Headquarters - Carlisle
1 South Hanover Street
Carlisle, PA 17013
717-218-5151
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Johnstown Regional Headquarters - Johnstown
508 Main Street
Johnstown, PA 15801
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Clearfield County Headquarters - Dubois
11 N. Brady Street
Dubois, PA 15801
630-291-5325
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Erie County Headquarters - Erie
25 East 10th Street
Erie, PA 16501
814-455-3513
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Beaver County Headquarters - Beaver
1701 Third Avenue
Beaver, PA 15009
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Franklin County Office
33 South Main Street
Chambersburg, PA 17201
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Bedford County Office
109 W. Pitt Street
Bedford, PA 15522
814-623-2091
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Levittown Headquarters
7500 Bristol Pike
Levittown, PA 19057
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Montgomery County - Abington Office
1647 The Fairway
Abington, PA 19046
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
Altoona Headquarters
3961 6th Ave.
Altoona, PA 16601
814-944-1301
Email: PA@BarackObama.com
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stefan comments:
Obama for President
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mblundquist comments:
i hope and pray that the country is ready for an intelligent person to run the country again!
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onenastybeast comments:
Well, then that excludes Obama. Sigh.
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Jack Straw comments:
Chuck, my friend:
We have to look beyond the shivers and beyond the election fervor, to what must come afterward: governing, making the right things happen and preventing the wrong.. We face our Pennsylvania primary and the November election having no really good candidate for a new era of Presidency.
As to the Kennedy aura many see around Barack Obama, while inspirational campaigners, Jack’s nomination and electoral successes owed most to his father’s wealth, ambition and interventions, and RFK only made it to Washington first as support staff in Joe McCarthy’s rotten inquisition, and later on when appointed Attorney General by his brother. Both assassinations were terrible and tragic, but the cold eye of history has shown that while much more than competent, these Kennedys were neither saints nor heroes.
On the Obama call to put aside differences, work together, bring Republicans and Democrats into cooperation, etc: Democrats have been collaborating with
Republicans since Reagans’s administration, and the main result for America has been a grand and comprehensive move to the right, tremendous waste of our national economic strength and vitality and of our population’s opportunities and security, and a serious loss of international esteem. Enriching a very small and greedy elite, we have beggared and disgraced the rest of America.
Now that the worst (we hope they cannot get worse) Republican excesses have been deeply instilled into the American consciousness and made part and parcel of our national, state and local governance, the only hope for really needed change and a renewal of American fair and generous pragmatism is a complete change of our leadership, and not just at the top.
Barak Obama’s warm feeling and inspirational rhetoric about “working together” make this stealth candidate for established interests an advocate of NONE of the changes we need in the practical ways and means and results for governance and policy. Every nonprogressive person retained in decision making will work to slow and prevent needed change. Who knows in how many areas where due to Democratic and grass roots American resistance Republicans haven’t yet managed to fully trash our system and expectations, such as in “reforming Social Security,” and in eliminating food and health and safety and financial and employment regulations or enforcement, or in ramping up the nuclear power industry, by “working together” ala Obama we will bring Americans more misery, when with a clean break we might turn America in a really new and beneficial direction.
Most of Hillary’s stump speech at Wilson High School this Saturday hit the right “bring back industry and jobs” buttons for Pennsylvanians, and probably for a lot of other Americans, but she was also right there with a pledge to re-outlaw “assault weapons,” so we know the antigun stuff is still ready to go, and with the the time-honored but very ill advised call for throwing lots more money at crime via law enforcement. I was also really sorry to hear Clinton orate that she’ll “end the war in Iraq, and win the war in Afghanistan.” This is another government, media and politician generated fallacy with broad adherence on both sides of the aisle: that the Afghanistan invasion and occupation are justified and winnable.
There is just such a sorry commitment in all our leadership and media to dealing with everything via threat or imposition of military force, to having our military and heavy thumbs everywhere across the globe, and we are putting up with so much cost and deprivation everywhere here as a result. We need an end to all our occupying, all our inhumane cruelty and bloodshed, and to our callous support of other brutal, oppressive regimes in the Middle East and elsewhere. We need to end the mentality that’s made us responsible for so much. It’s a crying shame that for 2008 there’s NO Presidential candidate truly advocating this kind of change.
I wish I could say that we have a really good candidate for President this year, someone very likely to get our nation turned around, but it just isn’t so. Yet, if not high on “hope,” Hillary does inspire my guarded optimism. She is on record for real improvements on health care. She is on record for NOT deciding on re-deploying and re-investing in the nuclear industry before taking its very serious safety and cost issues properly into account.
Beyond the race for the White House, it looks like in our 2008 elections we will achieve substantial majorities in the Congress. I fear that with Obama we will lose the resulting potential for really needed change, as his stirring candidacy is too conciliatory with the Republican status quo, too cozy with nuclear and oil business, too hands off with the health insurance industries, and no better than Clinton’s for foreign policy.
My goals for 2008 as a citizen and as a local Democratic Party committeeman are to turn out more Democrats to vote in my township, and to put and keep Democrats in office. I will vote for the Democratic nominees for most offices this November, especially for President of the United States of America.
I’ll vote for Hillary Clinton in our Pennsylvania primary, because she is the more known and dependable quantity, because she has worked for us tirelessly for many, many years, and because beyond stirring oratory, Hillary makes more straightforward and credible commitments to the kinds of real changes the United States really needs.
~ John Scott
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Hayseed comments:
I am not a Pennsylvanian, and I have watched these
proceedings from afar, but I have to agree with
Jack Straw on several things. Maybe Democrats and
Republicans have not cooperated, but the Democrats
have certainly been co-opted by the Republicans since
as far back as I can remember. Yet I believe most
of this has been due to the fear that has been
instilled in Democratic political leaders: unable
to restructure and refocus the war on drugs to
make it more humane and less socioeconomically
expensive, out of a fear of appearing soft on
crime; unable to utilize a Senate majority in
2002 and majorities in both houses in 2006 to
rein in Bush’s reckless war machine (in 2002,
the weak-kneed Democrats worried about looking
weak on defense, and in 2006 the new majorities
were perhaps just too tentative and caught up
in Washington game-playing to stand firm against
funding the war and to actually enact the will
of those who sent them to Congress).
Where I differ from Jack Straw, however, is his support
for Hillary Clinton. I don’t believe that she
is able to exercise independent judgment to
the extent a president must, and she has been
caught too many times now changing her tune
and her words and the facts to appeal to
specific slices of the Democratic electorate.
And, no matter how much the Clinton machine
tries to persuade us that cynicism is a
legitimate stand-in for constructive
discussion, or that clear
messages delivered coherently are somehow
suspect or “fancy speechifying,” there is
an important difference between Obama’s skill
in communicating and teaching and learning
through reasoned discourse, on the one
hand, and her ever-shifting, calculated
posturing. That’s a crucial distinction,
considering the challenges facing our
next president, who must be capable of
not only being ready on day one, but
also determined to grow and develop
during four or eight years to recognize
and resolve problems, some of which will
be entirely unprecedented.
Thanks to Obama, there are hundreds of thousands
of newly registered Democrats across the
country to deliver the votes needed to
retake the White House in November, and
their votes will help reshape Congress
as well. Obama has done the heavy lifting
these past 15 months, while the Clintons
have been pouting about having to
struggle in an election they apparently
expected would be served up on a platter.
Barack Obama is the person I want in
office this coming January, and that’s
why I stood for him at the local caucus
in my city last February. Everyone who
has voted so far and been inspired by
this campaign is watching Pennsylvania
on Tuesday for further signs of hope.
–Robb Scott
Manhattan, KS
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