Entries tagged with “Campaign 2008” from Reality Window

It started in Springfield in 2007. We got a big boost in January 2008 in Iowa and the next 10 months led us to this:

And thus to today at last:

Yesterday my daughter was walking around saying in a gleeful voice, "Just think. Today is the last day that George Bush is president."

Yes We Can ... Yes We Did.

Kossack nutmegan's Dutch friend emailed:

You have given us hope in a way that only Americans can: against all odds.

That's the essence of why this election was so important to the world. This interview with Fareed Zakaria from July 2008 underscores the point. (transcript)

If the CNN video doesn't work for you, the Fareed Zakaria interview of Barack Obama is available on youtube: part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4

Obama's response to Zakaria's query about the problem of Islam demonstrates the thought, education and upbringing that our new President-elect brings to the table.

OBAMA: I think the problems of terrorism and groups that are resisting modernity, whether because of their ethnic identities or religious identities, and the fact that they can be driven into extremist ideologies, is one of the severe threats that we face.

I don't think it's the only threat that we face.

OBAMA: I think the problems of terrorism and groups that are resisting modernity, whether because of their ethnic identities or religious identities, and the fact that they can be driven into extremist ideologies, is one of the severe threats that we face.

I don't think it's the only threat that we face.

ZAKARIA: But how do you view the problem within Islam? As somebody who saw it in Indonesia ... the largest Muslim country in the world?

OBAMA: Well, it was interesting. When I lived in Indonesia -- this would be '67, '68, late '60s, early '70s -- Indonesia was never the same culture as the Arab Middle East. The brand of Islam was always different.

But around the world, there was no -- there was not the sense that Islam was inherently opposed to the West, or inherently opposed to modern life, or inherently opposed to universal traditions like rule of law.

And now in Indonesia, you see some of those extremist elements. And what's interesting is, you can see some correlation between the economic crash during the Asian financial crisis, where about a third of Indonesia's GDP was wiped out, and the acceleration of these Islamic extremist forces.

It isn't to say that there is a direct correlation, but what is absolutely true is that there has been a shift in Islam that I believe is connected to the failures of governments and the failures of the West to work with many of these countries, in order to make sure that opportunities are there, that there's bottom-up economic growth.

You know, the way we have to approach, I think, this problem of Islamic extremism, which is real and (ph) there, is we have to hunt down those who would resort to violence to move their agenda, their ideology forward. We should be going after al Qaeda and those networks fiercely and effectively.

But what we also want to do is to shrink the pool of potential recruits. And that involves engaging the Islamic world rather than vilifying it, and making sure that we understand that not only are those in Islam who would resort to violence a tiny fraction of the Islamic world, but that also, the Islamic world itself is diverse.

And that lumping together Shia extremists with Sunni extremists, assuming that Persian culture is the same as Arab culture, that those kinds of errors in lumping Islam together result in us not only being less effective in hunting down and isolating terrorists, but also in alienating what need to be our long-term allies on a whole host of issues.

This interview reflects just one facet of the support that Obama gathered together to win the presidency. Given his calm consideration of the challenges facing the US in the economy, in energy independence, in climate change response and the #1 domestic issue of health care, many anticipate Obama's thoughtful, informed, intelligent leadership in foreign policy and it brought such a reaction from around the world.

More world reaction in youtube videos here, here, and here. And from the University of Sydney on election day.

UPDATE: Kossack pensivepenguin has done a round-the-world survey of newspaper articles and editorials reviewing Obama's election and asking the question, "Where is our equivalent of Obama?" It's fascinating reading. Obama's impact may go well beyond his own initiatives by how the fact of his election changes how others look at democracy within their own countries.

Bill Ayers comments on the just completed campaign and the use of his name to create a false image with which to hammer Barack Obama. As the professor which he is, he goes on to draw some lessons from the experience.

In a robust and sophisticated democracy, political leaders--and all of us--ought to seek ways to talk with many people who hold dissenting, or even radical, ideas. Lacking that simple and yet essential capacity to question authority, we might still be burning witches and enslaving our fellow human beings today.

Maybe we could welcome our current situation--torn by another illegal war, as it was in the '60s--as an opportunity to search for the new.

Perhaps we might think of ourselves not as passive consumers of politics but as fully mobilized political actors. Perhaps we might think of our various efforts now, as we did then, as more than a single campaign, but rather as our movement-in-the-making. [...]

Yet hope--my hope, our hope--resides in a simple self-evident truth: the future is unknown, and it is also entirely unknowable.

History is always in the making. It's up to us. It is up to me and to you. Nothing is predetermined. That makes our moment on this earth both hopeful and all the more urgent--we must find ways to become real actors, to become authentic subjects in our own history. [...]

In this time of new beginnings and rising expectations, it is even more urgent that we figure out how to become the people we have been waiting to be.

The Obama campaign taught many people that it's possible to take their country's future into their own hands. It goes back to the premise behind the founding of the Democracy Cell Project which grew out of the Kerry-Edwards blogging community:

We can do amazing things when we choose to do so.

Yes We Can.

Newsweek has just published part 6 in "a seven-part in-depth look behind the scenes of the campaign, consisting of exclusive behind-the-scenes reporting from the McCain and Obama camps assembled by a special team of reporters who were granted year-long access on the condition that none of their findings appear until after Election Day."

You can start with whichever chapter you want and you'll find it fascinating. I started with ch. 6 and then went to ch. 5 and then back to ch. 1. Wherever you start, you'll go back to the rest to find out more about what makes our new President-elect tick and how he carried out his amazing campaign.

Kudos to Newsweek and the team of reporters who covered this.

From Chapter 1:

In the first quarter of 2007, Obama put the political world on notice when he raised $24.8 million, more money than any other Democrat except Hillary Clinton, and drew huge crowds at his early rallies. But he was a tentative, awkward presence in the endless Democratic debates through the spring and summer of 2007. He didn't really seem to have his heart in it; he appeared to lack the required, almost pathological drive to be president. The campaign strategist, David Axelrod, told Obama he worried that the candidate was "too normal" to run a presidential campaign, and Obama began wondering himself. He missed going to the movies and reading a book and playing with his kids. He worried about "losing touch" with "what matters." To a NEWSWEEK reporter he said, "I'm not trying to say that I'm some sort of reluctant candidate--obviously this is a choice I made. But there was some tension there in my own mind." [...]

[Axzelrod] liked Obama in part because he could see that the candidate was unusually intelligent (especially, in his experience, for a politician coming out of the Illinois Statehouse), and because Obama seemed uninterested in and unimpressed by the mindless tit-for-tat of modern political campaigning.

From Chapter 5:

Holder, a former deputy U.S. attorney general in the Clinton administration and an old Washington hand, was struck by Obama's half-open, half-inscrutable manner during the nearly eight hours of meetings they spent together going over potential veeps. Obama was diligent, bringing up small morsels of information hidden in the fat briefing books, and he acted like a law professor who calls on reluctant pupils ("I haven't heard from you," he'd say to anyone around the table who had been silent too long). A lot of politicians pretend to be inclusive; Obama actually was. But "at the end, you didn't know where he stood. When you got down to the final judgment, I had a sense, but I didn't have any kind of certainty." Holder thought Obama was being shrewd to not signal his intentions too clearly--since "people want to say what the boss wants to hear, and if they don't know, you'll get more honest advice."

From Chapter 6:

Never one to wing it, Obama studied for the three official presidential debates, scheduled for roughly once a week from late September to mid-October, as if he were taking the bar exam. [...]

At Obama's debate rehearsals, held repeatedly through the late summer and with increasing frequency and intensity in September, the role of McCain was played by Gregory Craig--the ace Washington lawyer dubbed as one of "the Kool-Aid boys" by a bemused Obama back in 2006. [...]

Obama's debate coach, Michael Sheehan, a veteran of many campaign psychodramas over the years, was struck by the senator's calmness. The candidate was always in control of his feelings. During one afternoon prep session, Obama begged off. "I'm a little tired and a little cranky," he told a roomful of aides. "I'm going to my room for a half hour and I'll be in better shape to work with." He reappeared 30 minutes later, ready for work. Obama was, as ever, self-possessed--his own best judge of his mood and strength. After a full-dress mock debate in the evening, when it was time to review the tape of his performance, Obama turned to Sheehan and said, "Michael, I'm tired." He was not complaining, Sheehan recalled; he was just being matter-of-fact. Nothing seemed to rattle Obama. He had a way of retreating into his own little world. During one of the debate preps, the lights blew, flickering on and off like a strobe light from the 1970s disco craze. Obama stood behind the podium, quietly singing the song "Disco Inferno," last popular in the heyday of "Saturday Night Fever."

Remarks of President-Elect Barack Obama--as prepared for delivery

Election Night

Tuesday, November 4th, 2008

Chicago, Illinois

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

Here's the poll closing times tonight courtesy of the Swing State Project.

And while we wait for the election results, take a look at all the people who've worked over the last 20 months to make today happen.

And now it's off to do the last bit of GOTV for this election.

Happy Voting Day!

"Democracy is no easy form of government. Few nations have been able to sustain it. For it requires that we take the chances of freedom; that the liberating play of reason be brought to bear of events filled with passion; that dissent be allowed to make its appeal for acceptance; that men chance error in their search for the truth."

Robert F. Kennedy, February 19, 1966

Get ready to sustain our democracy! Let's vote for the quiet heros caught in a perfect storm all across our country. Let's vote for our future and make our votes count.

From lawyer Adam B at Daily Kos

If you see something weird or discomfiting or arguably illegal going on at your polling place tomorrow, ...you've got two choices tomorrow as to where to phone in your information, and I'm going to advocate doing both.  First off, there's Obama Voter Protection:

Call 1-877-US-4-OBAMA (1-877-874-6226) and let them know what problems you're seeing.  If you can't get through, use this online form and/or call your local campaign HQ.

Alternately, or in addition, I strongly encourage you to call Election Protection, a nonpartisan organization:

• For immediate assistance, call the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline.
• To report problems to Election Protection's state teams through Twitter, use these guidelines.
• Track incident reports received through the hotline at OurVoteLive.org
• Keep an eye on voting issues as they are reported at the OurVoteLive Blog


• Follow breaking voting news and issues at the 866OurVote Twitter account

We all love being able to break news here about what we're seeing, but what matters most tomorrow is giving that information to people who can do something about it .  And then ... wait, what are you doing at a computer in the first place on Election Day?  Get out there.  Do More Than Vote.

Senator Obama told us on a conference call the other night that we're on the five yard line, and we need to bring it into the end zone. He told us that he's proud of the work we're doing, and that we have to work hard for just a little bit longer -- that we have to keep going until the polls close on Tuesday night. If you're a volunteer, you know he's right, and as tired as we all are, this is not the time to slow down. If you're not a volunteer, you can still be part of this historic election. Do it now. It's not too late.

The ugliness of the McCain campaign has been discouraging to all of us. They've cheapened the political process, divided Americans, and damaged their own party. In the battleground states, misleading ads and mailers are flooding our airwaves and mailboxes. Republicans have thrown not just the kitchen sink at us, but a fake plumber, too.

So, our work is not done. We need to fight back against the smears and lies, and continue to let voters know how much better off we'll all be with a President who will bring all sides to the table to resolve our difficulties together.

Senator Kerry was out doing his part again yesterday morning on Meet the Press, recapping the reasons why Barack Obama is the right choice for the country.

If you're a volunteer, just hang in there a little longer. We need to get out the vote, and if we do, we're going to win this election.

We're on the five yard line. Our goal is in sight. If we keep going, we'll all be able to celebrate this victory together.


Cross-posted from KerryVision.net

It's a GOTV kind of day. Here's a little inspiration for you.

Time to get up and go.

This is from a commenter at Margaret and Helen's blog post for today and just adds onto Helen's advice for "undecided voters" which is priceless all by itself.

What if things were switched around?

• What if the Obamas had paraded five children across the stage following the debate, including an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?
• What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?
• What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his college graduating class?
• What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was a divorcee?
• What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married?
• What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to pain killers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?
• What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?
• What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five? (The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the serious Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)
• What if Obama had trouble reading from a teleprompter?
• What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included discipline problems and a record of crashing seven planes?
• What if Obama was the one who was known to publicly display a serious anger management problem?

You could easily add to this list. If these questions reflected a reality, if the tables were turned, do you really believe the election numbers would be as close as they are?

This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative characteristics in another when there is a color difference.

And, think of this - the candidates' educational backgrounds:

Barack Obama:

• Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in International Relations.
• Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude

Joseph Biden:

• University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.
• Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

John McCain:

• United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899

Sarah Palin:

• Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
• North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
• University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
• Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
• University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism

Education isn't everything, but this is about the two highest offices in the land as well as our standing in the world.

You make the call.

Via WaPo's The Trail blog, comes this report of the late-night Florida rally with Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

It goes along with this snippet of the rally that the Obama campaign has posted:

UPDATE: Found another snippet of Barack and Bill's appearance at The Daily Beast. My guess is that it goes first chronologically.

And if you had to miss it, here's the pre-recorded part of Obama's 30 min TV piece from last night.

This video clip from the Washington Times helps illustrate why Barack Obama is doing better than conventional wisdom suggested he would do in West Virginia.

Patrick Powell who is featured in this video was one of a number of voters that Washington Times reporter Christina Bellantoni wrote about in her article, "Hard times in Barrackville are hurting McCain".

Patrick Powell is an unlikely Obama voter, and said he doesn't even like the man. His wife is frustrated that Mrs. Clinton didn't win, and his good friend blasts Mr. Obama as unpatriotic and refusing to recognize the American flag.

But all three of them say they won't be voting for Mr. McCain.

"There's no hope for West Virginia," said Mr. Powell, who is 40, unemployed and unable on his wife's Applebee's wages to afford costly medicine for regular violent seizures that have left him with deep scrapes and scabs on his hands and face.

So much for the common wisdom on white small town voters in Appalachia. I'd say that Mr. Powell demonstrated a pretty thorough understanding of what's at stake. If you haven't watched the video, do so. Mr. Powell is impressive. David Brooks should take a lesson or two.

Bellantoni also wrote a blog post about how they identified Barrackville and a couple elements that she had wanted to cover but didn't have time to follow up on.

The Guardian has put together a fascinating assortment of interviews of people from Obama's past that is well worth reading. For those who haven't read either of his books, this is an excellent synopsis though it doesn't replace his introspection on his relationship with his mom and his grandparents.

Schoolfriends remember his love for comic books, basketball and teasing the girls. A former boss recalls him as a young man running a community project in Chicago. A fellow senator remembers being beaten by him at poker. Gifted student, quiet persuader, charismatic speaker, loyal friend... We speak to the people who knew Barack Obama best, revealing an intimate, often touching, portrait of a man on the brink of greatness.

Interviewees included are:

Indonesia 1969: Rully Dasaad
Hawaii 1975: Tony Peterson
Los Angeles 1980: Margot Mifflin
Chicago 1980s: Auma Obama
Chicago 1985: Gerald Kellman
Jakarta 1980s: Julia Surakusuma
Harvard 1989: Larry Tribe
Illinois 1996: Senator Terry Link
London 2008: David Lammy

Ron Howard and his friends, Andy Griffith and Henry Winkler, got together to do a couple very unique endorsements of Obama.

Obama's speech in Richmond, Virginia had another one of those inspirational moments which is such a delightful contrast to the hate-mongering rhetoric of the opposing campaign. Take a listen.

In tracking down a transcript for the speech, I found this post by Jason Guard who attended the rally. He has a unique perspective.

Via Crooks and Liars, here's a partial transcript:

There are no real or fake parts of this country. We are not separated by the pro-America and anti-America parts of this nation - we all love this country, no matter where we live or where we come from. There are patriots who supported this war in Iraq and patriots who opposed it; patriots who believe in Democratic policies and those who believe in Republican policies. The men and women from Virginia and all across America who serve on our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America - they have served the United States of America.

We have always been at our best when we've had leadership that called us to look past our differences and come together as one nation, as one people; leadership that rallied this entire country to a common purpose - to a higher purpose. And I am running for President of the United States of America because that is the country we need to be right now.

This country and the dream it represents are being tested in a way that we haven't seen in nearly a century. And future generations will judge ours by how we respond to this test. Will they say that this was a time when America lost its way and its purpose? When we allowed the same divisions and fear tactics and our own petty differences to plunge this country into a dark and painful recession?

Or will they say that this was another one of those moments when America overcame? When we battled back from adversity by recognizing that common stake that we have in each other's success?

This is one of those moments. I realize you're cynical and fed up with politics. I understand that you're disappointed and even angry with your leaders. You have every right to be. But despite all of this, I ask of you what's been asked of the American people in times of trial and turmoil throughout our history. I ask you to believe - to believe in yourselves, in each other, and in the future we can build together.

Colin Powell in the course of his endorsement of Obama this morning made this point:

And it is permitted to be said such things as, "Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim." Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, "He's a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists." This is not the way we should be doing it in America.

And then he mentioned a picture that struck him.

I feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had her head on the headstone of her son's grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone. And it gave his awards--Purple Heart, Bronze Star--showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death. He was 20 years old. And then, at the very top of the headstone, it didn't have a Christian cross, it didn't have the Star of David, it had crescent and a star of the Islamic faith. And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, and he was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was 14 years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he can go serve his country, and he gave his life. Now, we have got to stop polarizing ourself in this way.

This picture.

Elsheba Khan at the grave of her son, Specialist Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan
New Yorker magazine/photographer Platon

His life story demonstrates like he was just as much a part of real America as anyone who lives in southern Virginia.

Campbell Brown made the same point last week. What would this election season have been like if more leading public figures and eminent journalists had stepped up and clearly made the same point in 2007 or early 2008? We can only imagine. But it didn't happen. And now we have been subjected to a campaign of slurs and hate-mongering.

I cannot say it better than NavyBlueWife did.

The highly charged rhetoric used by McCain and Palin to tie Obama to terrorism and Islam is once again an affront to all Muslim Americans. We saw this type of fear and backlash just after 9/11. We see it also in the McCarthy-like invocations of Michele Bachmann. I challenge Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin to tell this grieving mother that her son is anti-American because of his faith.

The answer to who is evil is NEVER as neat, clean, and easy as a label. Thank you, Colin Powell, for reminding America that those who serve in our military represent the awesome diversity of faithful and patriotic Americans.

Thank you, Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, for your service and your ultimate sacrifice. I am humbled to honor you and your fallen comrades.

And so am I. So are we all.


[via]

There have been hints and bits of this story floating around since shortly after Sarah Palin was announced as McCain's running mate. Max Blumenthal and Dave Neiwert have done the investigative reporting that confirms what's what with Sarah Palin and her support of and by members of an Alaska secessionist movement that has strong ties to the white supremacist movement in the lower 48 states.

Rachel Maddow interviewed Max Blumenthal and CNN did a lengthy segment with Dave Neiwert. Rachel and Max's segment is more concise than the CNN segment but the CNN segment has more actual source material in it. Unfortunately, the CNN segment is actually spread across 2 youtube clips because of editing issues. The first CNN clip has material that the second clip edited out. The second clip repeats some of the material of the first but does have the end of the interview which the first clip does not.

Here is Maddow's interview which is a good start if you're not familiar with the topic at all.

The original Salon article is "Meet Sarah Palin's radical right-wing pals". Be sure to watch the companion video of their interview with Mark Chryson, former chair of the Alaska Independence Party and Palin's political mentor who was largely responsible for her move from the city council to the mayor's office.

After reading this and watching the videos, one is compelled to question again: what was John McCain thinking when he chose Sarah Palin as his VP running mate? A person with her small-town, petty, vindictive approach to use of power and evident ties to an organization that quite literally stands in opposition to the United States of America should never have passed any legitimate vetting process. What must Republicans such as Olympia Snowe or Jody Rell or Mitt Romney or Charlie Crist think after having been passed over for Sarah Palin?

I'm tempted to add Joe Lieberman to the list though, of course, he still pretends to be an independent Democrat. The one benefit to the McCain-Lieberman relationship is that it has finally damaged Joe's relationship with Senate Dems enough that we can say good bye and good riddance.

All of this merely confirms another aspect of what we know about John McCain. His judgment is cannot be relied on. He is erratic, tempestuous, impulsive, and the precise opposite of what this nation needs as a leader at this time.

In contrast with the McCain campaign, which was clearly against having an economic strategy before they were for it, Senator Obama laid out a plan in Toledo yesterday to restore our economy, reminding us first of his long term plan for growth, which includes:

- Reforming the tax code
- Bringing down the cost of health care
- Providing affordable education
- Creating 5 million new renewable energy jobs and 2 million new construction jobs to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure

In addition, Senator Obama introduced an economic rescue plan to provide near term relief.

"It's a plan that begins with one word that's on everyone's mind, and it's spelled J-O-B-S."

To deal with our immediate needs, Obama proposed

- Protections for homeowners including refinancing loans and a 90 day foreclosure moratorium
- A $3,000 tax credit for businesses for each new job created
- Allowing withdrawals of 15% up to $10,000 of retirement funds without penalty
- Low cost loans for small businesses
- A stimulus package and extended unemployment benefits

Finally, Sen. Obama called for a return to fiscal responsibility and accountability from Wall Street to Washington to Main Street.

  Video Credit: BarackObamadotcom

Yesterday, the McCain camp said this:  

... "We do not have any immediate plans to announce any policy proposals outside of the proposals that John McCain has announced, and the certain proposals that would result as economic news continues to come our way," said a campaign spokesman, Tucker Bounds. Mr. McCain's policy adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, said, "I have no comment on anything, to anybody" ...

before they said this:

A freeze on foreclosures will not be part of a new economic rescue plan Republican John McCain will present to voters Tuesday, a senior aide told reporters Monday.

[McCain senior policy advisor Doug] Holtz-Eakin would not provide details about McCain's new proposals, but told reporters they would be far superior to those offered by Obama on Monday.

In other words, they'll try to find one and 'bring it to ya'.

Pretty erratic, or as former Reagan and Bush economic adviser Bruce Bartlett noted, "At this point I don't think McCain can say anything on the economy that will sound credible."

 
Cross-posted at Kerryvision.net

[This diary, Why My Republican Father Is Voting For Obama by Relevant Rhino, tells a personal story that is succinct and powerful and representative of so many other personal stories being told in the dkos community and elsewhere. ]

My folks live in Indiana. I've said in numerous comments, and one diary that my ma is now not only supporting Obama, but volunteering for his campaign in Madison County. I can't tell you how amazing that is, considering she works for a private, religious university and has voted Republican since 1976. It reaffirms my belief that anyone can change if given the proper motivation and tools.

My old man has been another subject altogether. He's one of those old school conservatives that vote straight-ticket just because. He only watches Fox News, and listens to Rush on a daily basis. When I told him I was posting diaries here on DKos, he asked me if I was a communist. I replied, no more or less than your President, and that ended that conversation.

So what changed my pops' mind?

I was inspired by a diary which I can no longer find a few weeks ago where the diarist listed some reasons as to why he was voting Obama. I decided to sit down and do the same, and send it to my folks. This is what I came up with:

I'm voting for Barack Obama because his message resonates with me. This is 2008, and we need a President who is capable of dealing with modern day problems. I feel very strongly about the direction this country has gone in eight short years, and would like to elect someone who feels like we're on the wrong track, and need to take massive leaps to gain our global credibility back. I believe in evolution(in all senses, but most importantly in the social sense). I believe in progress. And I believe that is a shared ideal with Barack Obama.

I'm voting for Barack Obama because I oppose the war in Iraq. Surge be damned, we're there for the wrong reasons. I agree with General Petraus when he says that victory is impossible in an occupation. Were it not for the Anbar Awakening, excessive bribery, and brilliantly executed covert operations by US Special Forces, the surge would have failed, and more of our soldiers would have lost their lives. I agree with Barack Obama when he says that Afghanistan is the central front in the war on terror, and that action should be taken in that theater, be it in Waziristan, Afghanistan, or Pakistan. Support the troops is more than a bumper sticker.

I'm voting for Barack Obama because I'm a parent. I want what every parent wants for their child: a better life than the one I had. And I had a pretty damn fine life. I was able to go to college due to scholarships and loans, which I am still paying for today. Barack Obama has a plan to make college more affordable to all families. You can read the bullet points here . Without proper education, and a chance for anyone to go to an institution of higher learning, we will not be able to compete in the global market.

I'm voting for Barack Obama because I believe in Women's Rights. I believe that women should receive equal pay for equal work. I believe that women should be given reproductive rights. While I feel that it should ultimately be a state by state issue, I would rather it be Federally protected than not. I believe that if assaulted, women should be given every consideration for their privacy, and every opportunity to prosecute their assailants. This is a fundamental disagreement I have with John McCain, who has voted against equal pay, and advocated making abortion a Federal crime.

I'm voting for Barack Obama because I want to pay less in taxes. In case you don't feel like wading through report after report, here's a simple chart of the Obama tax plan.

I'm voting for Barack Obama because I'm self-employed. Under John McCain's healthcare plan , families would get a $5,000 tax credit, individuals would get a $2,500 tax credit, and employer based health care would be eliminated. Why am I against McCain's plan if I'm self-employed, you ask? Because health care would be placed on the open market. The average cost of a health care plan is around $12,000 a year, leaving $7,000 by McCain's standards for those with care. If you don't have healtcare, you're screwed. Barack Obama's healthcare plan can be found here.

My dad called me up in tears. And this guy doesn't cry. The only time I've ever seen him shed a tear in my 30 years of life was when he buried his own father when I was eight. He told me that my ma had been working on him for a while to get him to vote for Obama, and that McCain's stunt with the bailout made him less confident in him, but it wasn't until he actually had to sit down and read why his own son felt this way that he started looking into exactly what Barack Obama offered America as a president. He admitted that he had the negative crap on FOX, and had a pretty skewed vision of who Barack Obama was. He said that Sarah Palin didn't represent his brand of conservatism. He said that Joe Biden reminded him of our old neighbor from Kendalville, IN, who he's still very close to. He apologized profusely for being manipulated by someone else's opinion and allowing it to become his own. I don't cry much either, but by the end of it we were both weeping like little girls with skinned knees.

This is why I love our campaign. It's personal, it's real, and it's effective, even if it's one voter at a time.

That's about as real and personal and succinct as one can get about the impact of Barack Obama's campaign. Well-said Relevant Rhino.