Letters to the Editor
TishiJo
Published Letters: 31 Editor's Choice: 2
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Obama Leads on Principle
[Read the article: Barack Obama's nouvelle vague]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Early in the campaign, I read this about Senator Obama, "when Obama walks in the room every one stops, he is a leader and you just want to follow him." I found out for myself the first time I attended an Obama town meeting in Iowa. The voters in the room immediately knew he was whip smart and genuine. He truly listened, and he answered every question. No generalizations, no inciteful campaign rhetoric.
Barack Obama runs a clean grassroots funded campaign made strong by the organization of hard working, dedicated volunteers. Of course he defends against smear tactics, and ruthless attacks. But consistently he engages in fair debate that requires comparisons of policy. He brings intelligence, integrity, and just plain honesty always flavored with a sense of humor. His message of Hope isnt a gimmick, its a gift he gives like a light shining through. He moves us past fear to possibility - that our country will be restored to greatness.
Thats why we follow him. Barack Obama leads on principle.
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The Key Word is Truth
[Read the article: The knives come out in South Carolina]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Since Mid-November Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, and surrogates have made continuous false attacks against Barack Obama. None of these were attacks on policy and every one was false. Each time Senator Obama responded, defending with the truth, it was widely reported that they were fighting.
During the South Carolina debate, Senator Obama answered the many false attacks and finally returned some against Senator Clinton, that were also not on policy, but deserved and truthful! Each truthful statement he made in response to the many false attacks was answered by Senator Clinton with more false attacks.
To date, Clinton has not made one truthful allegation against Obama! To date, Obama has never been charged with any wrong doing in relation to a slumlord, we now know that present votes are strategic votes, and unlike Clinton, Obama has never praised Reagan's policies. As for Edwards staying "above the fray," he has not been smeared and incessantly attacked by the Clintons like Obama.
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Edwards Betrays the Very People He Promises to Fight For
[Read the article: When principles aren't enough]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]John Edwards talks as if he is the only candidate that knows and cares about poverty in America. In the last debate he attacked both Obama and Clinton, but in the heat of their back and forth, claimed their so-called fighting was not going to solve the problems of the poor. Easy for him to say, he's hasn't been falsely attacked by the Clintons on a daily basis for the last two months like Obama. He hasn't had to defend himself or recite word for word what he said five years ago or disprove false statements against him day after day.
In my opinion, Edward's position is despicable because while he may be vying for kingmaker, acquiring delegates he can make a deal with, Edwards is taking away votes from an honest candidate, Barack Obama, and betraying his own (Edward's) faithful supporters.
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Lets Ask The Real Questions About the Clinton Legacy Vis Vis African Americans
[Read the article: Our first black president?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]“We should also ask real questions about the Clinton legacy vis a vis African-Americans, instead of accepting uncritically that they have always worked to advance the interests of black people. We shouldn't forget the fates of Lani Guinier and Jocelyn Elder, for instance, as we evaluate President Clinton’s record in advancing African-American appointees. “
Bill Clinton's domestic agenda did not bring us universal health care as promised, and his focus on eliminating the budget deficit meant he did little for the poor and working people in America.
The Clinton administration actually attacked the disproportionately non-white poor in numerous interrelated ways. Clinton signed a punitive welfare reform bill that ended the federal government's guarantee of financial help to impoverished families with dependent children. He also scored points with conservatives by taking welfare benefits away from legal as well as illegal immigrants.
Meanwhile, Clinton increased economic insecurity in poor and working-class American communities by signing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). NAFTA destroyed tens of thousands of American industrial jobs by tearing down long-established regulatory barriers to the movement of corporate capital and commodities across the US-Mexican border.
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Empty Victory
[Read the article: Did Hillary Clinton really win in Florida?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]When Senator Clinton was campaigning in Iowa and New Hampshire, she said that states like Michigan and Florida that won't award delegates, 'don't count for anything.' Now that Senator Clinton has lost badly in South Carolina, she's trying to assign meaning to a contest that awards zero delegates and where no campaigning has occurred.
Senator Clinton's own campaign has repeatedly said that this is a 'contest for delegates', and tonight, Florida awarded zero.
Senator Obama has stated he is disappointed that Florida will have no role in selecting delegates for the Democratic nominee, but looks forward to competing and winning in Florida during the general election.
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I Love the Caucus!
[Read the article: Obama's got ground game]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I disagree strongly that the caucus does not fully represent the vote of the American people. I love the caucus because every vote is represented by each person/vote being counted in full view of all voters in attendance. Yes, many dirty tricks were played on hundreds of Obama voters in the Nevada caucuses, but when local Democratic party officials properly monitor the caucuses, this cannot and does not occur. Hillary has claimed that many elderly cannot attend however, the Democratic party and the campaigns provide transportation for elderly voters, and there were a large number of women in attendance for Obama at our caucus. I have attended many caucuses in Iowa and there was a record number of people in attendance of every age.
After recent years of diebold voting machine hacking in Florida, New Mexico and Ohio,disenfranchisement of voters sent to wrong precinct locations, registered Black voters names turned away because their names were erroneously listed as Republicans, hanging chads, boxes of uncounted ballots ending up in a Clinton official's home in New Mexico, double bubble ballots not counted in California, and the last two elections literally stolen by George Bush, I absolutely do not trust elections. In addition, it is highly suspicious that the Clintons and their supporters are claiming that caucuses are unfair to Hillary's candidacy in some way, but they expect big wins in states with voting machines.