Letters to the Editor
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Obama vs. the media-constructed Obama
Having heard Barack Obama speak in Lexington, Kentucky, I have to say that never once did he sound elitist or "uppity."
He built a great rapport with the crowd and seemed very down to earth.
His message is similar: we, the people, need to work past the partisanship of the past to achieve things we've been unable to under the Bush administration.
However, much of the media has portrayed Barack as two things:
1) Black
2) Elitist
They have done this by endlessly rotating first, select Reverend Wright clips, and second, the bitter comment.
I don't believe they air these pieces out of animosity, but rather because they draw people to watch in the same way that a car wreck or a crime draws people to watch.
It will be Obama's challenge to reach out to the people and show who he really is.
But I think that the least we could do is at least listen to him as much as we listen to what the media says about him.
If you listen to him, I think you get an entirely different Obama.
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Zombie Warrior to Delores Flower
"I also enjoy listening to Miles Davis and John Coltrane as well as AC/DC."
You're A-ok in my book: I've been listening to Miles and J.C. since I was about 8 or 9 and sneaking peaks at my uncle's jazz collection.
Flowers (I believe it's Flowers I'm referencing) is implicitly right about some of these so-called Dem posters being ringers from Rushland. I think the Right knows it is in deep trouble and has sent out the minions to cause mischief.
Anyway, welcome to the show.
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Irony of HIllary's women vote
I am 62 year old women, Most of my friends, who like me, have been active in woman's rights issues and are all supporting Obama. Hillary has never taken any risks when it comes to woman''s right issues. She may vote in favor of woman's reproductive rights, but she is NOT a leader on those issues. I never hear Hillary talking about it with working class women. It is working class women and poor women who are most affected by the lack of access to contraceptives and abortion. Hillary has avoided discussing it.
I have observed the lack of commitment by women ages 40-50 for reproductive rights for years. In fact this age group has been the most apathetic in our voting history. Now they are coming our for Hillary and claiming they are not going to vote for Obama. Why? Obama has a much better legislative record for reproductive choice and for helping working class women with both wages and health care.
The most important civil liberty and right a woman has is reproductive choice. Without reproductive choice a woman's economic, educational choices can be limited, especially for working and poor women.
A vote for McCain is a vote for the loss for Roe V. Wade and other reproductive choices. Think hard women.
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Thanks Dolores
I have appreciated your insightful posts and the level of maturity that you bring to the discussion.
And I would like to add that of course there is a certain amount of racism as well as sexism involved in this race- it's not a big shocker. However I would like to believe that the majority of us are voting for who we actually think to be the better candidate based on the issues.
Also, to whoever said that Obama was creating huge divisions between young and old, black and white etc... I have to say that as far as I have seen in my few years on this planet, ALL of those divisions have been in place for quite awhile now. The fact that there is a woman running as well as a man of mixed race probably just puts a spotlight on a lot of the issues that have always been there. He's not responsible for dividing us and to say that is to ignore years of history and the simple basic facts of where we have come from as a nation.
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@ rbrown
I lived in WV and I had the GOOD FORTUNE to be born there. It is truly a beautiful state but when I moved (age 28) I was delighted. The people who live in those places are, as you say, often honest, good hearted souls. They are more frequently violent, xenophobic, misogynistic, and homophobic. They deserve my pity. The wealth from the natural resources goes out of state. More than most other states, their young people are used as fodder for this terrible war. Knowledge, or rather, “book learning” is dismissed as an unworthy pursuit even as the lack of education continues to doom their children. I like shooting guns. I don’t like killing things. Since I’m a girl, that’s OK, but the brutality inflicted on any boy who felt the same way taught me to fear those larger than me and to hide any idea I hadn’t heard espoused by someone else.
"If Obama can't connect with these voters it is not their fault."
Nor his. They chose ignorance and fear every time. They praise Wal-mart and bemoan losing jobs. The hate environmentalists and love the coal companies that are killing their land. The hate welfare for blacks in cities but rely on the SSI checks their children receive by virtue of being diagnosed with a learning disability.
"Some people actually think actions and a track record are relevant to being President."
Like having had a father who was one or maybe a husband?
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Maybe elections should have affirmative action too
Just give Obama a few extra states he wouldn't win otherwise, to make up for history.
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@KStone
Awww so cute, trying to bait me. lol. No, I didn't abandon anything. I simply didn't feel like talking to you about it anymore, and I won't after this, though it is amusing how you are trying to frame the matter. I guess playing to the crowd is your thing.
KStone gets tired of talking about whether race is the only reason Obama is beating Hillary 90-10% right ... right after I post a link showing her likeability among African Americans has plummeted since last year. How convenient.
By the way, did you really “laugh out loud” or do you post that for pizzazz? Inquiring minds want to know.
Anyway, we don't "disagree". I'm right and you are wrong. The funny thing is that most black people who vote for Obama will proudly affirm my sentiment. You hear it all over black media and in black churches, barbershops, beauty parlors and other meeting places. They are not busy trying to keep up an internet debate going and at this point neither am I, but hey, if you want to continue to engage in banal talking points and chattering class musings, feel free.
KStone accuses me of engaging in “chattering class musings” … immediately after telling me what blacks are talking about in traditional negro meeting places like the barbershop. At least according to the chattering classes on TV. Classic!
Then why are you pretending? It's simple. If they count toward the total(s), then they matter regardless of whether they will change the final outcome. Now, how you feel about that is between you and your shrink and it's not my problem.
I guess you're right KStone. The results of WV and KS "matter," if by mattering you mean they’ll affect the final delegate count in an insignificant way.