Sarah Palin? Leave the race before you further hurt women
I just couldn't have said it any better than this article by Rochelle Riley of the Detroit Free Press
As our economy teeters on the brink of disaster, Gov. Sarah Palin has spent the past two days cramming for a debate she cannot win and complaining that divulging her position on Pakistan, which mirrors Sen. Barack Obama's -- and is in direct conflict with that of her running mate, Sen. John McCain -- was in response to a "gotcha" question from a voter.
She was asked a question Saturday about sending troops into Pakistan. Instead of following the strategy that McCain explained during Friday's debate about not expressing such sentiments aloud, she said: “If that’s what we have to do to stop the terrorists from coming any further in, absolutely, we should."
Her subsequent reaction makes four things clear:
1) She doesn't understand politics.
2) She doesn't understand her running mate (or didn't watch the debate).
3) That voter, the one who asked the question, DID get her.
4) She should drop out of the race (No explanation would be needed) and stop making women look bad.
Her whining about answering a question she wasn't prepared for makes it clear she's not ready for prime time. But her month-long Bumble Across America Tour, during which she has displayed an increasingly clearer level of ignorance about the world and politics, shows she's not ready to represent women. Read the full story here
Thank You White Women
I have just read that white women are trending toward Obama and I wanted to pause and express my honest appreciation. Making history is meaningful to all groups, especially those who have been denied coveted opportunities over long periods of time, so it is understandable that white women would identify with Sarah Palin and want to give her a chance. Even if race were not a factor gender is and putting them both together creates a subtle, yet very real, gap. On top of this, many women have shifted their positions where abortion is concerned.
All women want the right to control their bodies but it is difficult to fully rationalize abortion on demand given the remarkable advances in technology. We must respect women who fight for life but we must also remember that ending unwanted pregnancies is a practice that pre-dates Roe v. Wade. It is best not to push the practice back underground. We struggle with so many contradictions, if criminal activity results in the loss of an unborn life of a child that is cherished it is indeed murder, so we all may want to think again about the standard for the unloved and unwanted. To know that even a few of these women have been able to look past a single, though profound, issue to side with the overall greater good elicits my admiration. In a real way the collective women’s vote, black, brown, white, red, and yellow will determine the direction of the Free World. White women are front and center with tough choices to make.
I understand that for feminists Hillary Clinton was their “shero” and it is a crushing experience when our heroes are defeated. It is painful and sometimes impossible to ever embrace the victor. Politics is personal and feminism is political. We knew liberal organizations would say the right thing but to be honest some of us were prepared for a fight to the bitter end. To learn that a good number of strong feminist women have actually put policy first and have worked hard to convince others to follow their lead is remarkable. Some of us still have an eyebrow raised and arms folded because we were ready for “here they go again” but not this time. This time feminist have demonstrated an ability to set feelings aside, oh they won’t like being called emotional still they have to admit that they were filled with passion and fire advancing the first viable woman presidential candidate. We know what it is like when all that remains is smoldering defeat and to rise to support the opponent, that is not party loyalty, that is extraordinary.
For Black women it has been much easier to arrive at an early decision. Change and hope have been our mantra for so long that for us an Obama candidacy was truly a dream come true. We scrutinized the spouse and found Michelle Obama to be exceptionally well qualified to be our very own first. Finally the world would have to entertain the thought, the energy, and yes the power of a Black First Lady. We are lifted by the possibility in much the same way that women were lifted by Title IX to be able to compete among women and experience victory. It feels really good just to be able to compete.
We know that it will be terribly difficult for some white men and women to go into the voting booth and privately pull the leaver for a Black man but we believe in change, especially changed hearts and minds. So today I want to thank my white sisters for being brave enough, and wise enough, and woman enough to embrace change.
This piece is in response to "A feminist's argument for McCain's VP" by Tammy Bruce
This piece is in response to "A feminist's argument for McCain's VP" by Tammy Bruce
By Felicia M. Davis
I cannot believe that the San Francisco Chronicle article,"A feminist's argument for McCain's VP" by Tammy Bruce, is written by any self-respecting feminist, much less the former president of the Los Angeles Chapter of NOW and a lifelong democrat.
To argue that any woman should set aside her values, interests, and intellect to simply vote on the basis of gender is an affront to all of the women who have struggled for years to claim our rightful seat at the decision-making table. In politics there are always winners and losers but there is also the larger agenda, the bigger picture.
As an African American woman I am still waiting for white feminists to respect my womanhood and maybe, for once, follow our lead. In the words of Sojourner Truth, "Ain't I a Woman?"
Strong Black women like the late great Stephanie Tubbs Jones supported Hillary Clinton every step of the way, but Hillary was out maneuvered. Her campaign made serious strategic errors and they lost. By definition campaigns are designed to defeat opponents and all is fair…especially when playing by the rules.
My vote will not be delivered based on race or gender, but I will take a moment to address both. As a young woman I considered myself a feminist.
Continue reading "This piece is in response to "A feminist's argument for McCain's VP" by Tammy Bruce"
Hysterical.... Will Sarah Palin try to fire McCain if they win?
And what else is new? Who thought McCain could draw a crowd on his own. He should be embarassed but probably doesn't realize how little people think of him. What a mess the Republicans have created. When Gov. Palin gets in office let's see if she tries to fire McCain.
Minus Sarah Palin, John McCain's Florida crowd underwhelmsJACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Gee, what a tough choice.
Would you rather see and also hear four old white guys talk about the day's financial turmoil?
Or would you rather stay at home in the air conditioning and maybe catch the Alaskan pit bull on TV talking about anything else?
Left on his own to campaign in Jacksonville, Fla., today, Sen. John McCain's Republican advance team let him down by forgetting one of the primary rules of politics in the TV era:
Better to overflow a small venue and keep thousands from getting in, than let thousands into a larger place but still have empty seats.
McCain, campaigning alone since Gov. Sarah Palin went home to Alaska to see her son, Track, off to Army duty in Iraq, gamely moved a campaign rally originally planned for a small venue into the 15,000-seat Veterans Memorial Arena downtown.
Not good.
Continue reading "Hysterical.... Will Sarah Palin try to fire McCain if they win?"
States Restore Voting Rights for Ex-Convicts - New York Times
“I can’t vote because I got three felonies,” Mr. Benton told Ms. Bell. He had finished a six-month sentence for possession of $600 worth of crack cocaine, he said. But Ms. Bell had good news for him: The Florida Legislature and Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican, changed the rules last year to restore the voting rights of about 112,000 former convicts.
“After you go to prison — you do your time and they still take all your rights away,” Mr. Benton said as he filled out a form to register. “You can’t get a job. You can’t vote. You can’t do nothing even 10 or 20 years later. You don’t feel like a citizen. You don’t even feel human.”
Felony disenfranchisement — often a holdover from exclusionary Jim Crow-era laws like poll taxes and ballot box literacy tests — affects about 5.3 million former and current felons in the United States, according to voting rights groups. Read the full story here.
Can either of the presidential candidates fix this economy?
I'm just wondering if anyone is paying attention to the economy these days. Gas hit $5.20 in Lawrenceville, GA, cars are not being repossessed because dealers have nowhere to store them, and Lehman Brothers is having problems.
Lehman Brothers fights for survival
The law of the financial jungle has all but accounted for one of Wall Street's biggest beasts, the investment bank Lehman Brothers. Its chief executive Dick Fuld has been desperately looking for a buyer over the weekend, write Louise Armitstead and James Quinn in New York
Despite its position high above the Manhattan skyline, the 32nd floor of Lehman Brothers headquarters is known among junior traders as "the Jungle".
For this is the domain of Lehman's indomitable chief executive, Dick Fuld, nicknamed The Gorilla, and the nerve centre of Wall Street's fourth biggest bank.
According to insiders, Fuld, 62, has for months barely left his den for longer than a few hours: he's worked from 5am to 2am most days fighting to defend the bank at which he has spent his entire working life.
But last weekend, as Lehman Brothers lurched towards impending disaster, even the most loyal members of Fuld's troop admitted that the battle was nearly over. Read the full story here
Racism directed at Oprah for not inviting a white candidate on her show
Even though she hasn't had any presidential candidates on her show. It's great to know Oprah has enough money to stand the heat. Unfortunately, many Black businessmen who openly support Senator Obama are not as lucky. After Iowa I had so much hope for the future of this country but low-and-behold, racism is alive and well in America. The international papers knew the real America would show it's ugly face.
The article below is a good defense of Oprah's decision not to have the presidential candidates on her show. The only problem I have with this commentary is the fact that she questions - as did many fans of Oprah - if Oprah was putting race ahead of gender.
Did anyone think she just thought Barack Obama was a better candidate and was not deciding who she would support to lead this nation based on race or gender. That's an ignorant thought. No one ever questioned large numbers of Black people voting for a particular candidate in the past and they have historically voted for the democratic nominee. Now, just because that nominee is Black, why assume someone as intelligent and accomplished as Oprah Winfrey is supporting Senator Obama because he is Black.
Who's the racist? America may have come a long way, but Americans have a long way to go.
Don't Blame Oprah - A Commentary By Susan Estrich
Poor Oprah. Of course, Oprah is not poor by anyone's definition (we should all be so poor), but she found herself between a rock and a hard place on the question of whether to invite the newest, and right now probably the biggest, celebrity in the world on her show. To do Sarah or not to do Sarah? No good answer.
Of course, the ratings would be huge. And when someone in the entertainment business decides NOT to do something that would garner unbelievable ratings and attention, that decision is always subject to scrutiny.
But Oprah's decision to endorse Barack Obama for president last year has put her in an awkward place, straddling the roles of celebrity and politico, of entertainer and advocate, in a way that has probably done her far more harm than good, financially speaking. Endorsing Obama did not endear her to her many fans who counted themselves Hillary supporters, and who thought that if there were anyone in the world who should stand up for the first woman to mount a serious presidential campaign, it was Oprah. Was she putting race ahead of gender, racial solidarity ahead of ladies first? Read the full story here
Year-by-year break down of Palin & Obama resumes
by by SantaFeMarie, Daily Kos
1980 - 1984
Obama: B.A. in political science with a specialization in international relations from Columbia University.
Palin: Wasilla High School, captain of the state-champion basketball team. Miss Wasilla, runner-up in the Miss Alaska pageant, also Miss Congeniality, although that is now disputed.
Him: Ivy League degree.
Her: tiara.
1985 - 1990
Obama: moved to Chicago; became a community organizer as director of the Developing Communities Project (DCP), a church-based community organization on Chicago's far South Side. During his three years as the DCP's director, its staff grew from 1 to 13 and its annual budget grew from $70,000 to $400,000, with accomplishments including helping set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants' rights organization.
Moved to Boston to attend Harvard Law School. Selected as an editor and then elected president of the Harvard Law Review, a full-time volunteer position functioning as editor-in-chief and supervising the law review's staff of 80 editors.
Palin: Bachelor of Science degree in communications-journalism, with a minor in political science from the University of Idaho. Brief stint as a sports reporter for local Anchorage television stations; left to join her husband in commercial fishing.
Him: sterling legal education.
Her: sportscaster.
1991 - 1995
Obama: graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School; received contract and advance to write a book ("Dreams from my Father") as well as a fellowship at the University of Chicago Law School. Directed the Illinois Project Vote from April to October 1992, a voter registration drive with a staff of 10 and 700 volunteers that achieved its goal of registering 150,000 of 400,000 unregistered African Americans in the state, leading Crain's Chicago Business to name Obama to its 1993 list of "40 under Forty" powers to be.
Palin: member of the Alasaka Independence Party which advocates "Alaska First". Elected to Wasilla city council.
Him: Expert on our nation's fundamental legal principles.
Her: plotted to leave the Union; thinks Pledge of Allegiance was written by our founding fathers, doesn't know what a Vice President does.
Read the full break down at Daily Kos
Letter from a proud community organizer
My Friends,
I know that you want to honor the service of John McCain and you are proud that Sarah Palin delivered the Party line so well. In any other time it would be just as the media says, “game on”. But not this time. This time there is a movement afoot and that is the power of an organizer.
Community organizer is perhaps the highest form of service in our nation. The best and brightest have been drawn to this position motivated by the same values that produce war heroes. Any organizer could easily utilize their talents to simply make money or achieve success, but they identify with the community as a whole.
Organizers look for opportunities to heal communities by creating opportunity where little exists. There is a natural link between organizing and politics, where politics is the business of the community. Barack Obama is a master organizer.
Master organizers possess a unique and highly evolved set of talents and abilities. First of all they are visionaries. This does not mean that they are dreamers or even optimists; it simply means that they can see into the future with clarity and, as a result, can chart a better course than those of more limited vision.
It is easier for organizers to choose between good and better--a quality we refer to as judgment. Intelligence is a given, it is required for work at the street level. Effectiveness at the grassroots level requires the most sophisticated analysis and the ability to process innumerable variables without loosing focus.
Finally there is leadership. Leadership requires confidence in the ability of the community to follow in a direction that is optimal based on benefit to the group as well as the individuals.
Most often we do not know the names of great organizers because they tend to stand behind community leaders that they train and develop. In rare instances organizers are globally recognized: Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Wangari Mathai, all of whom received international recognition for their work as organizers. There have been others. The late Rev. James Orange and Earl Shinhoster are two names that resonate from South Georgia to South Africa in labor and civil rights. These two community organizers paved the way for Barack Obama. Many others remain nameless like so many war heroes.
What distinguishes organizers is that in a real way they wage peace and prosperity with success defined in terms of the common good. Sometimes their battles are more difficult to win than wars on foreign soil, but no less worthy.
Organizers must be educated and enlightened. They must possess an active faith that is used to bring about change. Organizers understand that we must each manifest the change we seek. Master organizers produce great change by expanding their capacity to embrace the community as a whole and, like all great men of faith, show others how to believe.
Make no mistake, all who enter this honored field stand fearlessly on faith. In the long run organizers can never be defeated. In the words of Dr. King, “the arch of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice.” Barack Obama has already won.
By Felicia M. Davis
Proud Community Organizer - Atlanta, GA
Did Sara Palin know that family on the stage with her?
I already knew that one of the reasons Sara Palin was selected was her ability to deliver a good speech, so it came as no surprise that she did a great job with her speech. It was well written and effectively positioned her as a Washington outsider with experience managing people and money. I personally believe they spent too much time trying to belittle Barack Obama rather that finding a way to distinguish themselves in a classy way - a little gutter politics going on with the Republicans.
But that wasn't my problem. What was up with her family? Was it a rent-a-family? If so they could have done a better job in casting and wardrobe. Her husband seemed as if he didn't know the kids. They passed the poor baby around until it ended up in the arms of the youngest girl who proceeded to use spit to slick the child's hair into place. I'm sure that was learned behavior. The pregnant, unmarried, teenage daughter was holding hands with her boyfriend. The youngest girl had to tell the others when to stand and wave. What a mess.
When the bunch finally went on stage there was not much communication among the family aside from the official passing off the sleeping baby. You would have thought they never met before. The poor little girl desperately wanted Palin to notice or acknowledge her, but mom never looked down. Her and Dad Palin were too busy enjoying the attention. The little girl proceeded to follow her mom around the stage. I actually felt bad for the little poor child. She had practiced her wave and was ready for her moment – but it never came ‘cause mom and day never paid attention. The former PTA "Hockey Mom" must have played with another team because that crew didn't seem connected in any way.
The baby needed to be in bed and the youngest girl needs attention - she was so cute she could have won the hearts of America. If only her parents noticed she was there.
The awkward last few minutes were topped off with the entrance of John McCain who, aside from hugging his running mate, acted as if he didn’t know Palin either.
If McCain happens to stumble upon the presidency, we have to pray for his good health because the thought of theBeverly Hillbillies, I mean, Palin family in the White House is frightening.Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s convention speech, Associated Press
Text of Republican vice presidential candidate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s speech to the Republican National Convention on Wednesday, as prepared for delivery:
Mr. Chairman, delegates, and fellow citizens: I am honored to be considered for the nomination for vice president of the United States …Full speech here
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