8 posts tagged “barack obama”
And big shout out to Kay, her lawyer friends and even some of my family friends who are out in Nevada Poll Monitoring.
And last but not least, Rest In Peace to Barack Barama's grandmother. She raised a great man. Its sad that she will never get to see the history that her grandson is about to make.
- I can't get over how much of a basketball head Barack is! Check out this youtube video, hilarious!
- I don't root for anything Los Angeles. Any true Bay Area sports fan will understand this. Dodgers, Angels, Lakers, Clippers, nada! Please understand in the Bay we coined the term "BEAT LA". Get over it Laker fans.
- I generally don't root for anything Boston either - but check this out: Paul Pierce was born and raised in Oakland until he was in the 6th grade, his brother (Jamal Hosey) grew up with Gary Payton and is a playground legend in the Town. Leon Powe was born in Oakland, played at Oakland Tech and was one of the most prolific single season scorers in the history of UC Berkeley hoops. KG - the most humble, loyal and defensive monster of this generation... 3 of the most under appreciated traits in sports. This is why I choose to root for the Celts against the Lakers. Get over it.
- I predict Kobe will publicly bitch out his teammates and/or request/insinuate some type of trade request by October, 2008. 5 Months.
- Kobe will walk off the court, disgusted, at least 45 seconds before the end of Game 6. No class.
- Every championship team needs a James Posey. You know, the guy whose scrappy as hell, rebounds, isn't scared to defend anyone or shoot and sink the big shot when needed. Now that I think of it, any basketball player who wears a mouth piece is good in my book.
- Michael Jordan would not lose game 6. If Kobe does not have a breakout game tonight, any comparisons to MJ is just blasphemous at this point.
From here on out I will address everything that happens within the 2008 Election period as - Post Speech.
Barack Obama's speech was historical. It was the greatest speech delivered by any politician in my lifetime... perhaps with the exception of Nelson Mandela's speech after being freed - remember this ""Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God."
But Barack's was up there. In terms of United States history it was the most important speech on race since the great Dr. King. Like I've been saying for over the past year on this blog, I'm not sure that America is ready for Barack. I'm not sure that their political IQ is high enough, especially after having been "dumbed down" by the W. presidency. I'm not sure that America is ready to be spoken to in this manner, to face the realities of race and the acceptance of a minority, a black president. We can only wait to see what this speech did in terms of political ramifications. By all accounts and by all parties (even Dick Cheney?!?!), this speech was historically important, perfect in its eloquence and an over all slam dunk. Lets see then, if that transfers over to acceptance instead of divisiveness.
I found an article that best sums up how I feel about Hilary's campaign. Please read. If you're a Hilary supporter, a Republican or an Independent, I'd love to hear your thoughts. It is time to start this dialogue.
- A Clinton Civil War by
Markos Moulitsas (Daily Kos, Monday ,March 17 2008)
" Clinton didn't just vote for the Iraq war and refuse to apologize for it, she voted to give Bush the same authority on Iran.
And if we want to talk about which party is the most grassroots-oriented, it's no contest. We've seen it in the caucuses, we've seen it in the netroots, and we saw it in the Iowa county convention this Saturday. The party's activists are busting their butts for Obama, while Clinton's campaign is counting on low-information Democratic voters selecting Clinton based on little more than name ID.
But I could deal with all of that, really, if Clinton was headed toward victory. I see this as a long-term movement, and I've always expected setbacks along the way. Clinton isn't the most horrible person in the world. She's actually quite nice, despite all her flaws, and would make a fine enough president.
If she was winning.
But she's not, and that's the rub.
First of all, the only path to victory for Clinton is via coup by super delegate.
She knows this. That's why there's all the talk about poaching pledged delegates and spinning uncertainty around Michigan and Florida, and laying the case for super delegates to discard the popular will and stage a coup.
Yet a coup by super delegate would sunder the party in civil war.
Clinton knows this, it's her only path to victory, and she doesn't care. She is willing -- nay, eager to split the party apart in her mad pursuit of power.
If the situations were reversed, and Obama was lagging in the delegates, popular vote, states won, money raised, and every other reasonable measure, then I'd feel the same way about Obama. (I pulled the plug early on Dean in 2004.) But that's not the case.
It is Clinton, with no reasonable chance of victory, who is fomenting civil war in order to overturn the will of the Democratic electorate. As such, as far as I'm concerned, she doesn't deserve "fairness" on this site. All sexist attacks will be dealt with -- those will never be acceptable. But otherwise, Clinton has set an inevitably divisive course and must be dealt with appropriately.
To reiterate, she cannot win without overturning the will of the national Democratic electorate and fomenting civil war, and she doesn't care.
That's why she has earned my enmity and that of so many others. That's why she is bleeding super delegates. That's why she's even bleeding her own caucus delegates (remember, she lost a delegate in Iowa on Saturday). That's why Keith Olbermann finally broke his neutrality. That's why Nancy Pelosi essentially cast her lot with Obama. That's why Democrats outside of the Beltway are hoping for the unifying Obama at the top of the ticket, and not a Clinton so divisive, she is actually working to split her own party.
Meanwhile, Clinton and her shrinking band of paranoid holdouts wail and scream about all those evil people who have "turned" on Clinton and are no longer "honest power brokers" or "respectable voices" or whatnot, wearing blinders to reality, talking about silly little "strikes" when in reality, Clinton is planning a far more drastic, destructive and dehabilitating civil war.
People like me have two choices -- look the other way while Clinton attempts to ignite her civil war, or fight back now, before we cross that dangerous line. Honestly, it wasn't a difficult choice. And it's clear, looking at where the super delegates, most bloggers, and people like Olbermann are lining up, that the mainstream of the progressive movement is making the same choice.
And the more super delegates see what is happening, and what Clinton has in store, the more imperative it is that they line up behind Obama and put an end to it before it's too late."
Been meaning to post recently but works been taxin that arse. I've had a few things on my mind, but I'll have to expand at a later time. For now...
- www.newmixes.com - This is how radio should be. Seriously, how come the UK gets the whole neo-soul, jazz, soulful broken beat thing so much better than the US of A? Actually, does any non-college radio dj even know what real soul music is? Cause it sure ain't that Beyonce yelling crap on the radio. A lot of the streams on this site come directly from Radio 1's - Gilles Peterson and Benji B's Deviation. Still a relevant place to post those streams though... loving this site.
- Anyone else getting a bad feeling about Hilary's campaign? The "over-ambitious" and "polarizing" titles have never been so relevant. She'll really do anything, really. She'll have anyone say anything on her behalf to win. It's not even about Obama... Its about the semi-racist shit that her camp is throwing out there to portray Obama. The sad part is that the uneducated voters (aka the majority of America, but particularly Hilary supporting democrats) are soaking it all up and (in my estimation) this will hurt not only Obama's chance at the presidency, but will also cast an ugly shadow on the Democratic party. If this, this, that and this equals Hilary in the white house... then maybe I don't really want to be associated with that party. Hello Ralph Nader.
- Prediction: America is not ready for a black president. The subtle and not so subtle racism is rising to the surface. It's relevant, way more so than Hilary being a woman. She cried on her campaign trail. Twice for Heavens sake. What President or candidate has ever cried? And only in the 2nd month of your campaign trail? What happens when the shit really hits the fan? But no... this sparked a fond reaction from the media. Women around the world were touched. "Look she's crying on TV - Finally, someone who understands us!". But put Barack in that traditional African garments and we get a friggin urban myth phenomenon that sways the outcomes of the Texas and Ohio primaries. Lets say for a hypothetical that he was Muslim. Who the hell cares? Why is that relevant. Why would that detract from the decisions, words and actions that Obama has displayed through out his carrer? Throughout his life! This is about the powers of the establishment (and yes, the Clinton machine is certainly part of that) versus a better minority candidate. This is a political machine versus grass roots. This is progressive versus status quo. This is the best, most over-qualified minority that we have seen in United States history, getting ready to be ousted at the hands of a racist attack. This will show us how far America has come. Mark my words.
- Prediction: Obama will win the popular vote, the number of states, and the number of delegates and still lose the Democratic candidacy. This candidacy will be brokered in a back room and something shady is in the works. I feel it. Mark my words! - There is no mathematical way that Clinton can quantify her being the candidate. You can already view her notioning of Barack being her vice president, on a "Dream Ticket' as part of the Shady Brokered Deal movement. It's a ploy for votes in her favor, thats all. She really has no mathemitcal nor momentum shift to back this reasoning. It will take a racist attack OR a shady back room - brokered deal by the Superdelegates to hand Clinton this win. Mark my words. Racist Attack OR Shady Back Room Deal.
- On a lighter note - ATTENTION TARGET SHOPPERS... I'm elated at the deals that Target has for work clothes these days. I've officially become a believer in only shopping for work clothes at Target. I'm done with Nordstrom Rack, Macy's clearance, Ross. They don't even come close. The sales at Target are ridiculous. I just bought a pack of 6 dress socks for $4.98!!!! I just picked up a couple of wrinkle-free, button-up, stripped shirts (in Spring colors) for $19.99!!!! And if you've got a really weird shaped body, more savings for you. I can't fit into size 28 wide, 34 long pants... but if I could - $6.50 Chino Pants!!!! Ridiculous. I shouldn't even share this find with anybody. This is the biggest unnoticed deal since signing up for my Harrah's card got me free rooms at the Paris Hotel in Vegas.
Not to get ahead of ourselves here, but clearly the momentum is Barack's favor. 11 primaries in a row, shifting of the super-delegate count and head to head polls vs Mccain favoring only the O. This Tuesday should (in my opinion) solidify his front runner-ship. Especially if he wins Texas out right. Based on recent polls, its near mathematically impossible for Hilary to take a delagae-count lead.
With that said, I've also noticed some pretty nasty stuff coming out of his opponents camps. Stuff now directed to Obama because of his front running. A lot of real ignorant stuff. Pictures of him wearing traditional Somali garb during a visit to Africa. Internet lies about his religion. Dirty stuff...
I recently shared a conversation with two good friends regarding our feelings on how these dirty games would play out versus the O camp. Could these Rove-like tactics work in shifting a doubt on Obama's character? Could the Republicans stoop so low as to tap into the faux Muslim fear that the Bush administration has craftly mastered? If the Republicans turned the American public against a Vietnam war veteren, John Kerry - in 2004. Remember the term "swift boating". Could they do so against a Democratic hopeful named Barack Hussein Obama? Is the average American critical enough to differentiate the facts from the scare tactics on their own? What roll will the media play? The conservative talk shows and Fox versus the Obama favoring media... These are questions that my friends and I pondered and I think its important to get this dialogue going NOW, so that Americans can be prepared once the games start. Americans can't afford to be swepts off their feet by the war mongoring, fear driven repubs and the propoganda that fuels them. Not with this election. Not with the lives of my Marine buddies still on the frontlines. Not with the potential for change that Barack Obama can bring. We can't be complacent this time. Thats what got us into the war. Barack can get us out.
Check out the SF Chronicles Mark Mulford's take on this phenomenon: "Nevertheless, one thing seems certain: We have yet to see the worst — and most deviously racist — of the attacks on Obama. The sad news is, there are simmering pockets of racist hate in this nation that have never really been tested, pockets of such vehement intolerance and power that it's impossible to know what demons lurk, what sort of outrage will erupt. After all, there is simply no historical precedent for what we are about to get into. No one with Obama's uniquely appealing makeup has ever made it this close to the White House."
But even more scary check out Time's Mark Halperin's 14 strategies that Mccain can use to beat Obama that Hilary could not. See strategy #11 for those of you who still don't know what I'm talking about: "11. Emphasize Barack Hussein Obama’s unusual name and exotic background through a Manchurian Candidate prism."
Gas prices are ridiculous. But you already knew that. It costs nearly $50 to fill up my car... but I drive a Volkswagen Jetta! Unbelievable. This needs to be addressed by the next U.S. President. I'm surprised that none of the candidates have tied the issue of the war to the prices of gas. Doesn't almost every American need gas? Why wouldn't they use this issue to tie the American people to their campaign. Barack Obama briefly spoke about Exxon's 10 billion dollar - Quarter 4 earnings during last nights debate. He should have taken it one step further and addressed how that effects the working man. Shoot, I could've wrote the line for him (insert Barack debate voice): "Exxon, which has thrived in the Bush/Cheney administration... which has lobbied vigorously during my tenure in the Senate... lobbyists, which by the way is the main contributors to my opponent - Senator Clinton's campaign... has caused the prices of gas at the pump to sky rocket and is unacceptable for the working man here in Ohio". Loud roar from the crowd. "My opponent has taken millions of contribution dollars from special interest groups like oil companies and frankly America, that is unacceptable and the very reason why my campaign has not taken one cent from these lobbyists. If you support the lobbyists you're basically agreeing that these gas prices are acceptable to the working people of America. I denounce these prices, these lobbyists and my opponent doesn't". Loud roar from Cleveland crowd.
Perhaps there's a reason why none of the candidates have touched on the gas price issue. Maybe its too hard to challenge oil companies. Maybe we're too dependent on foreign oil. Either way, its an issue. A huge one in my book. If you wanna propose a Universal Health Care, fine. Thats a wonderful theoretical debate. But in the meantime couldn't we discuss a more day-to-day issue, one tied to the current war. Couldn't they at least pretend to throw out a plan for easing our dependency to foreign oil? I think the American people would really like to hear that plan. Thats just my opinion.
Anyhow, I was thinking about this blog post on my way to work. I had to drive in today because the BART station parking lot was completely full. I'd been tracking how many miles per gallon and how much each gallon cost relative to how much my BART ride is. Funny, because as I pull up to the Toll Plaza I get stuck behind this Eco-SUV, running on Bio-Diesal. My friend Nina was right. A long time ago she told me that it smells like Tempura behind these vehicles. They run on used vegetable oil! I had to snap a picture. Lets hope they keep improving on Bio-Diesal because really I'm getting tired of the other picture.
