Now that I published that I am for Obama, I have heard many people stating that they like Obama, but they just don't know where he stands on the issues, so here are some links so you can see where he stands on different issues, in his own words.
Housing
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid900881681/bclid900480414/bctid1417300924
Jobs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp_Xut5R8G4&feature=user
Taxes
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1185051938/bclid1184507066/bctid1184507750
The American Dream/The Shrinking Middle Class
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1185051938/bclid1184507066/bctid1299148415
Iraq
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid901176778/bclid900482168/bctid1341023432
VA Benefits
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ4h6Ovfj3k&feature=user
The Environment
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1137739439/bclid900692839/bctid1334447388
Immigration
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1407913706/bclid1411847876/bctid1414281841
Health Care
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid901176779/bclid900672311/bctid1341023400
Education
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid901546006/bclid900825610/bctid1328567104
The Economy (5 Parts)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJMb8N2WNog
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3R9g5iQcZE
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlRwQ5DJ2EI
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xHW0MuA-n0
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNsZvzBKCzs
Gas Prices
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1185304443/bctid1531191625
Wednesday, 30 April 2008
Tuesday, 8 April 2008
The "Primacaucus" Part 2
As a democratic delegate for Precinct 200, what can I say about the Travis County Convention...hmm...well, it was interesting. Convention registration was scheduled from 7:00am to 10:00am and the Convention was supposed to start at 10:00am and last until about 2:00pm, and in case you haven't heard, this isn't exactly how it went down. Registration was extended until 11:30am and the caucus voting didn't end until about 5:30pm.
I arrived at the Convention at 8:00am only to find a mile long (that's right, literally a mile long) line of cars waiting to get into the parking lot. Evidently, the Convention organizers thought that getting 10,000 people into one parking lot would go a lot smoother than it actually did. Anyway, after spending an hour in my car, I was able to park and walk up to the convention building where I discovered another hour long wait to sign in. Surprisingly, everyone in line was remarkably cheerful. People were chanting, clapping, chatting, and smiling. It was amazing to see thousands of people standing in line for at least an hour, and having a good time doing it!
Once inside, the true scale of this convention hit me, as many people as were outside there was an equal amount inside. Imagine, if you can, 10,000 politically active people all hanging out in ONE building. Fortunately there were plenty of restrooms and food vendors on site otherwise the whole thing could have turned ugly.
In the end the Convention was very successful, even though it last until 5:30 (instead of 2:00) and was very frustrating. Too much "hurry up and wait", kind of like sitting in rush hour traffic but for 8 hours. It was still nice spending the day with 10,000 other like-minded people and of course, being able to vote for my Presidential Candidate. Additionally, I was voted to be an Alternate Delegate to the State Convention in June. It should be fun, and hopefully it will go a bit smoother than the County Convention.
Thanks for reading!
I arrived at the Convention at 8:00am only to find a mile long (that's right, literally a mile long) line of cars waiting to get into the parking lot. Evidently, the Convention organizers thought that getting 10,000 people into one parking lot would go a lot smoother than it actually did. Anyway, after spending an hour in my car, I was able to park and walk up to the convention building where I discovered another hour long wait to sign in. Surprisingly, everyone in line was remarkably cheerful. People were chanting, clapping, chatting, and smiling. It was amazing to see thousands of people standing in line for at least an hour, and having a good time doing it!
Once inside, the true scale of this convention hit me, as many people as were outside there was an equal amount inside. Imagine, if you can, 10,000 politically active people all hanging out in ONE building. Fortunately there were plenty of restrooms and food vendors on site otherwise the whole thing could have turned ugly.
In the end the Convention was very successful, even though it last until 5:30 (instead of 2:00) and was very frustrating. Too much "hurry up and wait", kind of like sitting in rush hour traffic but for 8 hours. It was still nice spending the day with 10,000 other like-minded people and of course, being able to vote for my Presidential Candidate. Additionally, I was voted to be an Alternate Delegate to the State Convention in June. It should be fun, and hopefully it will go a bit smoother than the County Convention.
Thanks for reading!
Friday, 4 April 2008
My Candidate
Well, I have quite a bit of feedback on this blog (though most of it has been in email form rather people posting comments) and one of the questions I get the most, is which candidate I support. While I have been trying to keep my cards close to my vest, I have decided to go ahead and put it out there. I support Barack Obama.
I first noticed Barack when he was running for the Illinois State Senate. I remember seeing a portion of one of his campaign speeches and thinking, "Wow, this guy is good. If he ever runs for President, it could be a new day in America." He spoke from his heart about improving his community, and how everyone in his district would need to work together to achieve their goals regardless of their political party, socioeconomic background, or current skill set. It was very moving, inspiring, and true. I was really touched by his speech and the funny thing is, it was merely a piece on how this unknown guy in IL won his senate district by a landslide, and not about, hey we found this really amazing speaker/politician. The MSM side note turned into me feeling like I was discovering my generation's Roosevelt, Kennedy, or Martin Luther King. I thought to myself, "I hope someone in the Democratic Party notices this guy, and that it's not just me that sees his potential." Fortunately, others did take notice and he was invited to speak at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. Once again, he delivered, and was instantly thrust onto the national scene. I could go on, but I am sure that you all are familiar with the rest.
As far as why I support him (besides his inspiring speeches) I support him because of the incredible thoughtfulness, intellect, and analytical abilities he has presented. I really like the fact that he is controlled, considerate, and smart…very, very smart.
I like that he seems honest and real. He makes me want to have him as a friend, but he also makes me want to improve myself, and my community.
I support him because he believes in shaping public opinion rather than blindly ignoring it or blindly following it.
He has demonstrated knowledge about the Middle East. He knows that if you are concerned about a nuclear weapons program in Iran, then amassing a 140,000 person strong occupying army in their neighboring country, isn’t necessarily the best way to make Iranians comfortable with abandoning their nuclear program.
He is worldly. Barack has not always been wealthy, he hasn’t always lived in the US, and he hasn’t always been religious. All of this allows him to see multiple points of view and understand how to interact with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
He understands that government assistance programs are supposed to help someone improve their life not give someone a better life. Most people want a helping hand, not a hand out.
He knows that in order to make changes in a country, you have to first inspire the population to act differently.
I support him because he knows that the Presidential Oath is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America, and who better to do this then someone who was once a Constitutional Law professor.
He understands that not all of the good ideas come from one party, which leads me to believe that he is the candidate most likely to assemble an outstanding team of advisers based on their skills and knowledge rather than political party.
I think that all of these traits/skills will allow him to better reason through issues to come up with viable solutions to help the country.
There are many reasons why I support Barack Obama, and I hope that this post has at least made you think about what you want in a President.
PS. I would love to read your comments!
I first noticed Barack when he was running for the Illinois State Senate. I remember seeing a portion of one of his campaign speeches and thinking, "Wow, this guy is good. If he ever runs for President, it could be a new day in America." He spoke from his heart about improving his community, and how everyone in his district would need to work together to achieve their goals regardless of their political party, socioeconomic background, or current skill set. It was very moving, inspiring, and true. I was really touched by his speech and the funny thing is, it was merely a piece on how this unknown guy in IL won his senate district by a landslide, and not about, hey we found this really amazing speaker/politician. The MSM side note turned into me feeling like I was discovering my generation's Roosevelt, Kennedy, or Martin Luther King. I thought to myself, "I hope someone in the Democratic Party notices this guy, and that it's not just me that sees his potential." Fortunately, others did take notice and he was invited to speak at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. Once again, he delivered, and was instantly thrust onto the national scene. I could go on, but I am sure that you all are familiar with the rest.
As far as why I support him (besides his inspiring speeches) I support him because of the incredible thoughtfulness, intellect, and analytical abilities he has presented. I really like the fact that he is controlled, considerate, and smart…very, very smart.
I like that he seems honest and real. He makes me want to have him as a friend, but he also makes me want to improve myself, and my community.
I support him because he believes in shaping public opinion rather than blindly ignoring it or blindly following it.
He has demonstrated knowledge about the Middle East. He knows that if you are concerned about a nuclear weapons program in Iran, then amassing a 140,000 person strong occupying army in their neighboring country, isn’t necessarily the best way to make Iranians comfortable with abandoning their nuclear program.
He is worldly. Barack has not always been wealthy, he hasn’t always lived in the US, and he hasn’t always been religious. All of this allows him to see multiple points of view and understand how to interact with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
He understands that government assistance programs are supposed to help someone improve their life not give someone a better life. Most people want a helping hand, not a hand out.
He knows that in order to make changes in a country, you have to first inspire the population to act differently.
I support him because he knows that the Presidential Oath is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America, and who better to do this then someone who was once a Constitutional Law professor.
He understands that not all of the good ideas come from one party, which leads me to believe that he is the candidate most likely to assemble an outstanding team of advisers based on their skills and knowledge rather than political party.
I think that all of these traits/skills will allow him to better reason through issues to come up with viable solutions to help the country.
There are many reasons why I support Barack Obama, and I hope that this post has at least made you think about what you want in a President.
PS. I would love to read your comments!
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