Obama’s Lead Narrows From Six to Four Points

It is still anyone’s race to win according to a Reuters political news report. A Zogby poll placed Obama’s lead at 48% to McCains 44%. That would equal a decrease of two percentage points. However, the two point drop does not signal an official shift. McCain still has much to repair within his campaign which is largely out of touch with the majority of American voters. Right now, our biggest concern is the economy. It is no secret that the economy is not McCain’s strong point nor that of the republican party. What is needed is an administration who can combine prior knowledge with the needs of Americans on “Main Street.” These “Main Street” voters include independents, women of all races, and minorities. It should not be a surprise that Obama enjoys a significant lead over McCain among those groups. There is also evidence that McCain is not as strong among traditional republicans as a GOP candidate should be. With only four weeks left, we still cannot be sure who will come out on top.

What Is The Biggest Threat To Our World Today?

Living in a “paradise on earth” like America could cause you to become oblivious to what is happening around the world. We’ve had terrorist attacks along with a few wacko domestic extremist, but we don’t face such threats day in and day out. With that said, I wonder what is a bigger threat to our world, Islamic extremism, “Euro” fascism, or paranoia.

I watched a short film today, by Dutch politician Geert Wilders, called Fitna. It’s a film that depicts Islamofascism at its worst. First I’d like to caution anyone who clicks on the link that there are some very disturbing images in the short film. If you are easily disturbed, as am I, do not click on it. Some will be quick to brand the film as nothing more than racist propaganda. I’m not here to argue if that labeling is justified or not. As far as I’m concerned, Wilders just might be another Eurofascist who doesn’t want nonwhites in his country. But does that take away from the fact that there may be some truth in the film? What’s disturbing to me is that racists are high jacking legitimate concerns about Islamic extremism. Why are we allowing this? It is because we are afraid of being called racist. There is nothing racist about wanting to stop the spread of a potentially dangerous worldview. We must stop viewing Islamic radicals as nonwhites who are victims of western imperialism. They’ve got their own oppressive agenda and we must confront it.

It is crucial that we take back the fight against radical Islam from the far right extremists of Europe. They include the British National Party, the Freedom Party (Austria), Vlaams Belang (Belgium), and the French National Front to name a few.

So what is the biggest threat to our world today? It’s not radical Islam or Euro fascism. It’s paranoia plain and simple. We are too darn paranoid to be called racist or culturally insensitive so we allow third world extremism to flourish. It’s time to stop handling Islamic radicalism with kid gloves and call it what it is…another form of fascism.

Dinesh D’Souza’s Attack On Michelle Obama

What is a rule of the political game according to Dinesh D’Souza? The number one rule must be to belittle the wife of a presidential candidate. That is exactly what he did here. According to Dinesh, Michelle Obama is a racist who probably has a negative influence over Obama:

Could Obama’s wife be largely responsible for the candidate’s damaging associations with crackpot race-baiters like the Reverend Jeremiah Wright and the Reverend Michael Pfleger? In sum, could Obama’s wife be a large part of his political problem?

He diatribe goes much further:

Will Barack Obama be ultimately forced to distance himself not just from the Reverend Wright and the Reverend Pfleger but also from his own wife?

Distance himself from his wife? Should D’Souza’s wife distance herself from him? What we have here is clearly a malicious and desperate attack on D’Souza’s part. When you have no real argument against a political candidate, by all means attack his wife. He could have taken Obama to task on the abortion issue or the war in Iraq. That would obviously have been too much of a right thing to do. We all no, there are no ethics in politics.

–Lorraine M. Nowlin

Wanted: A Good White Anglo-Saxon Male…

…to be Senator Barack Obama’s VP running mate. Personally, I believe that a person of either sex or any race can be an effective president and vice president. I also believe that people in this country are ready for change, including having a black man in the white house. But I am also a realist. I’m not sure that Senator Obama can reach the White House without a “traditional white man” on the ticket. Why? I believe that certain members of American society would feel that an all minority or black man/woman (of any race) ticket would be too much change. It pains me to admit it, but why deny that fact? Who might be the best white man for the job? Well, he would certainly have to be a white man of significance. Perhaps Senator Edwards or John Kerry. Edwards would likely be the more fitting choice because his run for the presidency is still fresh on our minds. On the other hand, I’m not sure that Senator Clinton could win without having Obama on the ticket, but that’s another post.

Photos by jurvetson’s photostream

 

Obama And The Economy

Just about everyone I know is concerned about the economy. Some will even go as far as saying that the American middle class is disappearing (Just watch any and every episode of Lou Dobbs). As the days go by, I see the evidence of this. Everything is getting ridiculously expensive from the price of milk to gas. I would not be surprised if self-service regular gas hits $4 a gallon this summer. So what does Obama plan to do for the economy? Well, no one can work miracles but there should be a plan.

Under an Obama administration, millions of workers will receive some type of tax relief. This would take the form of what he calls the “Making Work Pay” credit of up to $500 for individuals and (up to) $1000 for families. I personally would welcome any type of relief since we are practically slaughtered via taxes (I wish that I could show you all my paychecks as evidence).

Obama plans to raise the minimum wage to such a level that working families will be able to provide basic, day to day needs. I’m wondering if certain parts of the country such as the NY metro area or LA would have to have higher minimum wages than others. This is important to consider since the cost of living varies depending on where you live.

Obama is a strong supporter of unions. As a union member myself, I can attest that workers need advocates who will not pander to employers. Obama cosponsored the bipartisan Employee Free Choice Act which guarantees workers their right to organize. If elected, he will fight for it to pass and sign it into law. Not only does he support worker’s right to organize, but he believes in protecting our right to strike if we need to.

In addition to the above, he wants to crack down on predatory credit card practices. It is my humble opinion that this should begin with not allowing credit card companies to canvas college campuses. Students generally have to deal with astronomical college tuition and other fees, credit cards only add to the migraine.

Overall, Obama has a pretty good vision for the economy. For more information about his economic plans (and there is much more), visit BarackObama.com. Until next time, ciao.

Barack Obama And His Plans For Our Country…

Just in case you haven’t noticed, I support Barack Obama for president. Why? It has nothing to do with his being “black like me.” Okay, let’s not get into the technicalities of him being a mixed race man and me being a full-blooded black woman. But really though, his race has nothing to do with it. After all, I didn’t even consider voting for Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson during their presidential bids. What first attracted me to Obama’s candidacy was the consistency in his views against the war in Iraq. As a member of a military family, including an Iraq war vet who survived two tours, his stance against the war was and is critical. Yet, his keen insight to the futile nature of this war is not his only strength. So what exactly does Obama stand for? I’ll begin with education.

As far as Obama is concerned, No Child Left Behind is an utter failure. He does not feel the need to abandon it, but reform it. Under his plan, failing schools would receive support rather than chastisement. Note, that does not mean schools will be free from responsibilities. He also plans to push legislation that will fund intervention programs to alleviate the dropout crisis.

I especially like the sound of his Zero to Five plan which would establish Early Learning Challenge Grants to states in an effort to implement voluntary universal pre-school. It’s no secret that birth to the age of five are crucial years for child development. Why not create programs to nurture them during that stage?

I currently teach at a high school with a gang problem. Providing teens with activities during after school hours could lead to an alternative to gang involvement for many. So I am pleased that Obama plans to increase funding for after school programs even if it can only be for approximately one million more children at this time. Hey, we need to set realistic goals.

And why not reward teachers for the hard work we do? That’s right, reward us for our success in the classroom. Yes, that reward would be to increase teacher salaries. My critique would be that there is a potential downfall as it relates to this measurement. How will we define success? The only thing that a teacher can truly be successful with in a classroom is managing student behavior, not necessarily getting them to succeed academically. As an educator, I have seen over and over again that academic success is achieved through the hard work of students, not teachers. That is why in any given classroom, you will find both top notch and low performing students. All credit for academic success goes to the kids.

This is only a snippet of Obama’s plan for education in America. So what part of his plan shall I blog about next? The economy? Defense? Healthcare? Stay tuned…

Barack Obama ‘08.

Attacks On Barack Obama Are Getting More And More Desperate Everyday

The whole Jeremiah Wright Fiasco is getting tired. Just leave it alone and get on with the campaign already. I’m quite sure my “friends” over at The Young Turks would give me a whole hearty Amen on that note!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nFpK-_A4Ws&hl=en]

Rev. Jeremiah Wright In His Own Words

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX1y6Q9PYcg&hl=en]

Should we not dialogue with people we disagree with?

Rev. Jeremiah Wright Gets Pounded By The Media, But The Spiritual Leaders of Republicans Get Free Passes To Say And Do As They Please…

It’s apparently ok for a preacher to declare that God damn America as long as he’s white. And by the way, he could have been accused of child molestation as well (cough… Guiliani’s spiritual guide).

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB1tGB9oR-4&hl=en]

I want to make one thing clear, I do not endorse Rev. Wright or his theology. It should be noted, however, that his rants are not rare in black churches with older leadership. What I have a problem with is that Barack Obama is taking heat for Wright’s tirades when former candidates Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, and Rudy Guiliani were untouched over their affiliations. Shouldn’t we criticize fairly?

For more information, see The Young Turks

Terry McAuliffe Gets Grilled By Bill Maher

We all heard Hillary Clinton’s comments about the “experience” she and John McCain have in politics and Obama’s so-called lack of it. Hillary was essentially saying that it’s better to have a republican in office than Barack Obama. Terry McAuliffe skated around the issue when grilled by Bill Maher:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5UtUqXETnQ]

So I’d have to disagree with her. It would be better to have a republican in office than Hillary Clinton. Hey, I change my mind all the time…

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