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OK, here's another Andrew reflections:
We're in the garage, I'm painting a wardrobe for Elise's room (that my MIL picked up at Goodwill)... Andrew's riding around on his bike when the following conversation starts:
Why are things getting more expensive?
Well because we get so many of our products from far away, that as gas prices continue to go up, the price that it costs to deliver things goes up, and everythingis affected. That's why things are getting more expensive.
Nope, that's wrong.
No it's not, that's basically why things are getting more expensive.
No. It's because of George Bush. Things are more expensive because of George Bush.
Well, I guess, he is responsible.
And, when he's gone, things will stop being so expensive.
We were minding our business, enjoying the sunshine at Red River Beach in Harwich, Cape Cod this afternoon, when what pulls up in the parking lot, but the "Beatty Mobile Headquarters."
Jeff Beatty is apparently challenging John Kerry for his senate seat, with a tag line, "It's time to replace John Kerry with one of us."
As my husband reads that aloud, my 5 3/4 (going on 15) year old son Andrew (from here forward in italics) asks, Who's John Kerry?
A Senator from Massachussetts.
What's a Senator?
A senator is someone who works for us in Washington to help make laws. Each state has two senators that go to Washington.
If each state has 2 senators and there are 50 states, how many senators are there? (Have to try and get some summer math in there with our civics lesson) 900?
Okay, what's 50 +50? 100.
Right so there are 100 Senators.
Is being a senator a hard job?
Yes, it's a very hard job because you have to get most of the people in the whole state to vote for you and when you get to Washington you have to make very difficult decisions.
Remember, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are Senators? Oh, like John McCain?
Right.
If I were president, I would make very good laws, like: no littering, be good to mother earth, no smoking, use both sides of a piece of paper...
Those would be very good laws. I think if you were president you would be a very good president.
Who is our worst President ever? Wait a minute, let me think... no, don't say it... George Bush.
Why is that? Because he is mean to people. If he's so bad, how did he get to be president anyway?
That's a good question! When he was running for president he told people he would do all kinds of good things and that he would be compassionate.
What does compassionate mean?
It means he would care for people.
Well, then he's a fibber.
Right, and he has put this country in debt. What does "in debt" mean?
It means that he has spent money that he didn't have and that your generation will have to pay for it. Instead of spending money on education and health care, he has spent money on war.
Why did he go to war?
Because he wanted to get control over a lot of oil.
Isn't that stealing?
In a way, ,I guess you could call it stealing, because he went in to another country, took control, and will now let his friends who own big oil companies make lots of money off of the oil there.
Where is this war?
Iraq.
Iraq. Where's that?
In the middle east... very far away.
I don't think John McCain should be president.
Why not? Because I think he will be just like George Bush.
So do I.
I think Barack Obama will make a good president.
So do I.
(Great diary Kelly. Thanks for sharing your experience at one of of the 1000s of Obama House Parties that happened yesterday. - promoted by Mike Hoefer)
I had originally signed up to go to a "Unite for Change" house party in New Boston for today. Unfortunately due to illness of the host it was cancelled and our field organizer was trying to shuffle those of us who had signed up to other local events. I was invited to attend a party in Manchester because it looked like it was closer than any of the other ones around me. I had agreed to go there, but then thought twice. I wanted to at least meet people who if they didn't share my NH House Districts, they might share my NH Senate District, or at least share my US Congressional District.... And, if I wanted to "meet-up" (shout out to you Deaniacs) with these like-minded people, I would need to go elsewhere than ManchVegas (sorry Doug and Kathy).
Wow!
Okay, so who else just watched the HBO "movie" Recount?
Tom Wilkinson as James Baker is flawless, another Emmy for him there. The story is chilling. Can't imagine a writer even trying to come up with this...
My recollections of that month + are not as clear as I am certain they are for many of you, but wow, things were going on down there that I had no idea about. The "protesters" inside the Miami-Dade recount. Ouch. The death threats to the Canvas Boards.
How Joe Lieberman (R-CT) undermined the recount effort.
I am really looking forward to what everyone has to say after seeing this movie.
The bigger questions are, what have we learned? And, How do we make sure this never happens again? (or stop it from continuing to happen?)
It's been awhile since I've been to church, a very long time. And, because of scheduling issues, parenting, work, etc... I've been unable to really keep up with some of the Democratic party happenings in the State that I'd like to. But I have to say, after today, I left Hermanos feeling energized and spirited and filled, the way that you feel after getting a good dose of spiritual nurturing at your favorite house of worship or gathering. Okay, probably not as "spirited" as I would feel after a Rev JW sermon, but you get my point...
I have many friends who are politicos, some might even call themselves political junkies... but none that I get to have spirited conversations with on a daily basis. And with the primary almost 5 months behind us now, it's been a time since I've gotten to really sit down with like-minded individuals and feel nurtured in that sense.
So, when I sat down at the tables today (or stood around them, or tripped over them, or danced on them...
Not sure that this warranted a whole diary, but wanted to make sure everyone listens to hear our VERY OWN Kathy Sullivan on Morning Edition today.
update: here's the link Who Are Unpledged Add-On Delegates?
I heard her at about 6:30 AM, the links not up on NPR yet (won't be up until tomorrow), they were doing a story on not only super delegates but add-on delegates. They interviewed 2 people, one was Kathy.
My reasons are patriotic, political and personal, and the three are intertwined.
A President Like My Father
Read it here first, Hampsters.
While we have debated amongst ourselves the value or lack thereof of political endorsements... Newspapers, Governors, politicians, entertainment moguls... I don't think that anyone can deny the power of this endorsement. It may not add up to more votes for Senator Obama, who knows, maybe it will... but this is a personal endorsement from a woman who knows about public service, who understands where this country has been and where it is going.
Change is not easy. But Caroline Kennedy's words inspire me to believe that change is possible. Yes We Can.
I hope you'll indulge this one last photo post. Putting this together I'm surprised at how much my children have grown since this all started, especially Elise.
So here is the letter that I've sent to friends and acquaintances in NH... It was a really difficult decision to send it out, because it might turn off a lot of people. However, I believe so strongly in a Barack Obama presidency, that I just can't risk it.
Also, I was out canvassing today and surprisingly enough encountered voters who are planning to vote tomorrow but who are still undecided!
Dear Friends,
It is very difficult to reach out and talk politics with friends. I do not even know which party many of you tend to affiliate yourself with, nor do I know if you regularly vote. In my experience, NH voters tend to be quite private in their deliberations and value highly the secret ballot they cast. So, while it is difficult for me to do this, I am writing you this letter because I believe that there has never been a more important time in our history than now. I believe the stakes are too high in this Presidential election season to be comfortable and silent; and so I am standing up and speaking out.
When I watched the 2004 Democratic National Convention on television and saw the keynote address given by then Illinois State Senator Barack Obama, I knew that I wanted this man to be my President. I felt that he was not only speaking to me but for me. In the past, my involvement in presidential campaigns has been putting a bumper sticker on my car. This time, I am involved. I am a part of this campaign, this movement, because I have never been more inspired and believe in the "fierce urgency of now." Barack Obama does not want to change America, he wants us to do it; and that's why I'm standing with him.
After a formidable wait outside in the freezing cold, we checked our coats with some "Young Democrats" and found our table. I was quite fortunate to find myself at a table with Jim Demers (NH state co-chair) and the famous Paul Twomey, his wife Barbara and their 2 daughters, all of whom have been working hard. We had a lot of fun and it was great to meet so many new people. Not being a part of the NH political scene I found it fascinating to take it all in.
Early on in the evening while we were kind of just waiting around, a very nice man came up to me at our table to ask if I had another Obama button. I did not, (had a few in the car since I had canvassed earlier in the day, but my car was a decent shuttle ride away)... but had my cool glow-in-the-dark "Vote Obama" sticker on and knew I had at least 2 more buttons at home, so said, "Here have mine." After he put on the button (a little askew), we had a talk about politics, about the exciting win last night in Iowa, and how he came to be an Obama supporter, despite his long history with Bill Clinton. I knew that he lived on the Seacoast, but that was it, we shook hands and thanked each other for the conversation.
It was when the festivities began, that I saw the same man on the dais, leading all 3,200 of us in the Pledge of Allegiance, that I learned I had given my button to Fred Ross, a retired Chief of the Air Force, decorated veteran, civil rights activist and President of the Seacoast NAACP... wow... I'm glad I gave him my button and was proud to see him wearing it on the dais.
Howard Dean was great. I didn't know he would be there so it was a surprise. His speech was all about change; chosing hope over fear, unity over division... and I have a feeling he's quite happy with the results in Iowa last night.
I also met Burt Cohen, Jay Buckey, and was able to reconnect with Karen, Dr. Buckey's campaign manager from Lebanon--- who I had met with earlier this fall at The Round Table with Michelle Obama. In the bathroom, I met a woman from Goffstown, who like me was out canvassing in our respective home towns all day... Brrr... (Unfortunately, this was also when CSP was speaking, and I was very bummed to miss her)
I was glad to see Ray and Kathy on stage and put faces to the words and opinions I feel I know so well. I was hoping to find them both after the hoopla, but it was sort of circusy there... so maybe another time! I felt so proud to be a Democrat tonight.
I also ran in to a few of my favorite Obama staffers and got an enthusiastic hug from SGS--- he's not really as tough as he seems!
All in all, it was an unbelievable night and I'm so fortunate to have been able to gone... The energy and electricity in the room was palpable...
I'm sure there will be many recaps of the speeches on this site; so I'll save that for others who took better notes.
Suffice it to say, that after Governor Richardson began to speak, I realized that Barack Obama would be coming on next, and I started getting butterflies in my stomach. I actually felt so excited and a little bit nervous--- because after last night, I really believe that he will be our next president; and the thought of being there in that room at this moment in history, to hear him speak to us, became very powerful.
NHPR had a story about the debate controversy at 5:50 state news timeslot today... when I went to look at the transcript of the story, saw that they've decided to do The Exchange about it tomorrow.
I'm in the office seeing patients tomorrow morning, so not sure if I'll catch it, but wanted Hamsters to be alerted. If you can't call, you can email questions or comments from the website.
But, I hope we'll call and have a presence.
I edited the diary, because I realized I may have been violating fair use guidelines... oops, my bad.
This weekend's presidential debates and forum will not include some nationally known candidates, and the chairmen of the state Republican and Democratic parties are not happy.
Fergus Cullen and Raymond Buckley say the decisions by ABC News, WMUR and, in Cullen's case, FOX News, are inconsistent with the New Hampshire Presidential primary's tradition of providing a level playing field for all candidates.
ABC News and WMUR television (Channel 9) confirmed yesterday they have established performance-based criteria for Saturday's presidential debates. The rules could leave several candidates on the outside looking in, including Reps. Dennis Kucinich and Duncan Hunter, as well as Sens. Joe Biden and Chris Dodd.
And Cullen confirmed that FOX News has invited only five presidential candidates to a Republican forum scheduled for Sunday night, leaving out Ron Paul and Hunter. Cullen said the state GOP was in "ongoing discussions with FOX News about having as many candidates as possible participate" and remained a forum co-sponsor as of yesterday.
UPDATE: Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama this afternoon issued statements prodding ABC and WMUR not to narrow the field.
Obama said: "The voters of New Hampshire deserve to hear all the Democratic candidates' views on who can best lead America in a fundamentally new direction, and that's why I urge these networks to allow full participation in this week's debate."
Clinton said: "I believe in the true spirit of the New Hampshire process, the candidates who have participated in past debates should not be excluded from this one."
In an earlier posting on a liberal Democratic blog, www.BlueHampshire.com, one of Clinton's top local supporters, former state party chair Kathy Sullivan, had said that anyone upset by the debate's format should call WMUR and complain.
In contrast, John Edwards told UnionLeader.com this afternoon, "I'm staying out of that. I don't get to set the rules for the debates. I'll let the people who are in charge of the debates set the rules. And I'll be there."
(Full article click link:) Union Leader.com Who's In Who's Out, Who's Mad
OK, so it's not a slow news day by any stretch of the imagination, so I have no idea how I came to end up watching the rebroadcast of the "Lesser-Known Candidates Forum", recorded on 12/14/07 (originally aired on Manchester Public Access) and aired tonight on CSPAN.
The forum featured 4 Democratic candidates and 6 Republican candidates, in addition to our very own Senator Jack Barnes (R) who decided to run for Vice President when he realized John McCain was running for President.
Lest we all forget how fortunate we all are to live in the United State of America, where we can choose our leaders and the opposition does not risk its life in order to be heard.
OK, of course, it matters, but now that I have your attention... I've been thinking about this question for quite awhile.
Who visits here? I hear tell of "lurkers", but the researcher in me wants to quantify what we do here. Has this tireless advocating for our candidate made a damn bit of difference?
It's great that Jim Splaine's diary got picked up by The Washington Times and
The Washington Post played up Blue Hampshire's discussion of the CSP endorsement and we're being featured in Newsweek's Ruckus.
While the above are indeed significant points of visibility; and perhaps an entry in to this Hamster universe... Are the people likely to click on over to Blue Hampshire already political junkies like the rest of us, and have they already backed a candidate? Are there any undecided voters out there reading this blog? Has anyone made up their mind to vote for a candidate (or not) because of what they've experienced here?
I admit this is a great community here, and I'm so glad that I took the suggestion to post my first diary here as a NH Healthcare for Obama member, I've enjoyed the comradery here, the ability to talk politics freely and dangle esoteric references that many in my friendship circle may not easily "get." I feel at home and have been welcomed. There are faceless fingers on a keyboard somewhere in cyberspace that have my back when someone else gets snarky, and others out there that think I'm "excellent" or "troll" me because they think me or my candidate are not.
I gushed when saw I got mentioned in elwood's poem (another Sally Field moment for me, SGS), and so, have no intention of "checking out" from this endeavor, but can't help but wonder if my time is better spent elsewhere?
Are we just talking to ourselves here? Do we merely like the sounds of our own voices?
I could be writing postcards, canvassing, making phone calls... or G*d forbid, spending time with my children and husband (okay, I can do that in 2 weeks, I guess...).
Here's wishing a Merry Christmas to all of you who are toiling to get your candidate elected. Be you hired staff, political strategist, or doe-eyed intern.
It is because of you, that all of us here in New Hampshire know about the candidate you're fighting for. You invite us to events. You keep us in the loop and keep us fired up and ready to go. It's a nice working relationship and I wanted all of you to know, that all of us are aware of what you give up personally to be here in NH with us every 4 years.
Some of you may take a quick jaunt home for a family meal or an exchange of presents, but I expect that most of you will spend the day with your newly formed family here in NH.
Thank you for all your hard work, for your sacrifices, for your determination. May you find joy and comfort in knowing that what you do is appreciated.
Although I don't always catch it, I like to catch The News Hour on Fridays when they have Shields and Brooks on. I've always had a certain respect and admiration for David Brooks, and have found him to be a thoughtful and witty sparring partner for Mark Shields. I tend to read what he has to say with an ear towards reason.
I guess that's why I was so interested in what he had to say today. The Obama-Clinton Issue
to write about the Oprah-Obama event over a week ago, but then I read Latter-Day Republicans vs. the Church of Oprah in the New York Times on Sunday , and decided that I'm not the only one still feeling this event in my bones.
Since most of what I would have had to say in describing the event has already been said elsewhere, I'll use this diary instead to illustrate Mr. Rich's points about this movement...
One day we were driving home and my 5 year old son noticed one of our neighbors had put up a LOT of Team Tancredo signs (sounds like a car dealership to me). I explained who Tom Tancredo was and in a respectful and neutral way explained that he was running for President also, just like Barack Obama.
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