http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/01/clinton_heighte.html
Is HRC borrowing an infamous and what in the past has been a successful play from the Republican scare tactic playbook? I’m not quite sure but as indicated in the article above, yesterday HRC was quoted as saying that the next president could be facing on the day of their inauguration a terrorist attack, and with this inevitable attack looming, only Hillary could properly handle the situation. It seems to me that the politics of fear has not subsided from our modern political system and in fact we may have seen the first of what could be a series of scare tactics aimed at distracting the American public long enough to recapture a front runner position.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Friday, January 4, 2008
History in the Making
The results are in and Obama has captured the coveted Iowa caucuses. His secular sermons fueled by messages of hope and change and unity have resonated with independent, women and young voters alike. Although it is hard to say with a straight face that Iowan voters properly represent the average American vote (Iowa’s demographic is whiter than a Canadian hockey team) it is not the fact that Iowa’s delegates will be the deciding factor in the electoral equation to come – it wont. What is important is the significance of an Iowa win for a black freshman U.S. Senator with a funny name whose message is redefining contemporary American Politics.
I for one am proud to be living in this moment of history where for the first time in our Countries brief existence a black man is now a viable contender for the president of the United States. Forget that the latest zogby poll placing Barack in the winning column when raced against every prominent republican contender, forget that twice as many democrats came out to vote as did republicans and forget that he pulled in more independent and women votes (an essential for any democrat to win any campaign) than any other candidate – that’s not what is important.
The amazing thing, the unbelievable thing, the important thing is that a minority candidate who takes zero dollars from special interest and national PAC’s went to Iowa (ground zero for Caucasian American) and beat by 9 percentage points the most organized, powerful and intimidating political machine in American politics – the Clintons. From day one it was simply an oversight, an inconvenience that Hillary was going to have to run in the democratic primary, the pundits and the media all but gave the race to Clinton and in mid summer she was full steam ahead running a text book general election campaign.
Things have changed since then, America started to tune in and listen, they woke up and got engaged. The status quo has been challenged and the agents of change and unification have emerged victorious. At a time in American history where white kids still intimidate black kids by hanging nooses from school yard trees, where our justice system at times still sees in color and the idea of a black man leading a white man still conjures up feelings of skepticism isn’t this moment exactly what is needed?
A new day is upon us in American politics, you can capture the ears and souls of the American voters if you speak a message that appeals to the true ideals of every day America. Regaining the trust of the American people after Watergate was the starting point for every single candidate, reassuring the American people that government’s purpose is noble became more daunting post 9/11. But perhaps with this win in Iowa and a boat load of political steam heading into New Hampshire Barack can recapture the American spirit – he has my attention, I think he has yours, lets see what he’s going to do with it.
I for one am proud to be living in this moment of history where for the first time in our Countries brief existence a black man is now a viable contender for the president of the United States. Forget that the latest zogby poll placing Barack in the winning column when raced against every prominent republican contender, forget that twice as many democrats came out to vote as did republicans and forget that he pulled in more independent and women votes (an essential for any democrat to win any campaign) than any other candidate – that’s not what is important.
The amazing thing, the unbelievable thing, the important thing is that a minority candidate who takes zero dollars from special interest and national PAC’s went to Iowa (ground zero for Caucasian American) and beat by 9 percentage points the most organized, powerful and intimidating political machine in American politics – the Clintons. From day one it was simply an oversight, an inconvenience that Hillary was going to have to run in the democratic primary, the pundits and the media all but gave the race to Clinton and in mid summer she was full steam ahead running a text book general election campaign.
Things have changed since then, America started to tune in and listen, they woke up and got engaged. The status quo has been challenged and the agents of change and unification have emerged victorious. At a time in American history where white kids still intimidate black kids by hanging nooses from school yard trees, where our justice system at times still sees in color and the idea of a black man leading a white man still conjures up feelings of skepticism isn’t this moment exactly what is needed?
A new day is upon us in American politics, you can capture the ears and souls of the American voters if you speak a message that appeals to the true ideals of every day America. Regaining the trust of the American people after Watergate was the starting point for every single candidate, reassuring the American people that government’s purpose is noble became more daunting post 9/11. But perhaps with this win in Iowa and a boat load of political steam heading into New Hampshire Barack can recapture the American spirit – he has my attention, I think he has yours, lets see what he’s going to do with it.
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