Journey to PA

[H2O Man]

{1} "Bullfight critics ranked in rows
Crowd the enormous Plaza full;
But only one is there who knows,
And he’s the man who fights the bull."
--Domingo Ortega

President John F. Kennedy used to carry a copy of this verse in his wallet. It was inexplicably included in Kennedy’s last morning Intelligence Checklist, after analysis of estimates on Saigon, Cyprus, Korea, Vietnam, and Khruschchev’s statement from Kiev on the "very firm" Soviet position on Berlin.

The next President of the United States will be facing domestic and international difficulties that are as severe as those JFK was dealing with in 1963. I am supporting Barack Obama, because I think that he is the most capable of leading this country in the same manner that President Kennedy was.

I believe that Barack Obama is planning to carry on the goals that President Kennedy outlined in his Commencement Address at American University, on June 10, 1963. The older democrats who have listened closely to Senator Obama recognize this, while younger Obama supporters are hearing the message with new ears. I understand that his democratic critics are unable to hear this. But I am convinced that the nation’s leaders operating behind the curtain do.

{2} "Still, let us not be complacent. Should private interests fail today and public purpose thereafter, what rough beast, its hour come round at last, may be slouching toward Washington to be born?"
--Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.; The Vital Center: The Politics of Freedom; 1949

We support Barack Obama not merely because he reminds us of the poetry of old, but because he offers the only alternative to the course that the nation is currently on. That is the course that President Eisenhower warned of in his Farewell Address, and that Kennedy said posed the greatest danger to our Constitutional democracy.

Many of the supporters of Senator Hillary Clinton believe that she is uniquely qualified to lead the country in the next eight years. A substantial number of them believe that Barack Obama would make a good vice president, and get more of the experience that he needs in order to become the chief executive.

By the middle of this week, the democratic party will be significantly closer to identifying who the nominee will be for the Fall ’08 campaign. A growing number of democrats are recognizing that the nominee will be Barack Obama. As this process moves forward, the remaining advocates for a Clinton presidency is expressing the sentiments of those who would not want Obama as Hillary’s VP. However, even in the ABC debate, which I believe was orchestrated by those powers opposed to both Clinton and Obama, Senator Clinton made clear that she will support Barack Obama if he is indeed the nominee.

{3} "We came down
The rivers and highways
We came down from
Forests and falls

We came down from
Carson and Springfield
We came down from
Phoenix enthralled
And I can tell you
The names of the Kingdom
I can tell you
The things that you know
Listening for a fistful of silence
Climbing valleys into the shade

for seven years, I dwelt
in the loose palace of exile
playing strange games with the girls of the island
now, I have come again
to the land of the fair, and the strong, and the wise
brothers and sisters of the pale forest
children of night
who among you will run with the hunt?
now night arrives with her purple legion
Retire now to your tents and to your dreams
Tomorrow we enter the town of my birth
I want to be ready."
--James Douglas Morrison

Tuesday is going to be an important event in the democratic process. Many people from both the Clinton and Obama campaign have put a significant amount of work into the state’s primary. It is safe to say that the nation will be watching closely.

As democrats, we know from experience that people opposed to our party have been not only watching, but attempting to plant the seeds of mistrust and division in our party. Be awake. Be aware.

It is going to be a very competitive contest. From Tuesday night on, for the next several days, emotions will run high. That is to be expected. And we can also expect the slouching republican machine to try to disrupt our party’s future. Don’t let them.

Good luck to both candidates. I hope that no matter which democratic candidate you support, that you hear that message of promise that President Kennedy delivered some 45 years ago:

"…. Let us examine our attitude toward peace itself. Too many of us think it is impossible. Too many think it unreal. But that is a dangerous, defeatist belief. It leads to the conclusion that war is inevitable--that mankind is doomed--that we are gripped by forces we cannot control.

"We need not accept that view. Our problems are manmade--therefore, they can be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings. Man's reason and spirit have often solved the seemingly unsolvable--and we believe they can do it again.

"I am not referring to the absolute, infinite concept of peace and good will of which some fantasies and fanatics dream. I do not deny the value of hopes and dreams but we merely invite discouragement and incredulity by making that our only and immediate goal.

"Let us focus instead on a more practical, more attainable peace-- based not on a sudden revolution in human nature but on a gradual evolution in human institutions--on a series of concrete actions and effective agreements which are in the interest of all concerned.

"There is no single, simple key to this peace--no grand or magic formula to be adopted by one or two powers. Genuine peace must be the product of many nations, the sum of many acts. It must be dynamic, not static, changing to meet the challenge of each new generation. For peace is a process--a way of solving problems.

"With such a peace, there will still be quarrels and conflicting interests, as there are within families and nations. World peace, like community peace, does not require that each man love his neighbor--it requires only that they live together in mutual tolerance, submitting their disputes to a just and peaceful settlement. And history teaches us that enmities between nations, as between individuals, do not last forever. However fixed our likes and dislikes may seem, the tide of time and events will often bring surprising changes in the relations between nations and neighbors. …."

Read or listen to the complete speech:

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/Archives/Reference+Desk/Speeches/JFK/003POF03AmericanUniversity06101963.htm

[speedoo]

1. K&R, and bookmarked.

Thanks, H2O Man. I always enjoy your posts and I am sure this one will help restore my faith in this torturous process we are enduring.

[H2O Man]

2. This primary is

is as important as it is difficult. And it is so difficult, because of what is at stake. It is worth every bit of energy that our democratic brothers and sisters have invested.

This will be a unique week, I think.

[speedoo]

5. Those words of JFK, and Eisenhower's warning re. the ...

military-industrial complex, are so relevant today.

Maybe some of us needed eight years of the most corrupt and misguided administration (I refuse to refer to it as "leadership" or "governance") in order ro fully appreciate what those Presidents were saying. Some obviously still ignore their words.

I agree with you that Obama offers hope. I also believe that Clinton and McCain offer only more of what we have endured since Bush was appointed.

I hope as you do that by Tuesday night, we will be a little closer to the goal.

[H2O Man]

10. I think that

what is going to make it hard for some of our friends is that Senator Clinton needs a huge victory, and she is probably not going to hit that mark. But the super delegates are going to understand that even a 10-point win for her isn't enough. So the progress will be more evident to some than to others.

[Tatiana]

3. "Our problems are manmade--therefore, they can be solved by man."

This is probably my all-time favorite JFK speech. It is amazing how the wisdom of elders like JFK and Ike still has relevance today.

This final push by Obama shows how much of a fighter he is. 20+ points down, and most would have given up and pushed on to other strongholds. This is a point so many people are missing. He's not giving up on Pennsylvania. He doesn't give up on any states, he doesn't give up on any people. To Team Obama, everyone is important, everyone deserves a seat at the table. In other words, democracy is not only something he preaches, but something he practices. That's why you have independents like Chafee and liberals like Kerry and Kennedy and centrists like Daschle all getting behind this most unlikely of Democratic candidates. That is why you have Republicans like Hagel who find Obama very appealing and a pleasure to work with.

This is the difference between a 50-state no constituent left behind strategy and the 50 plus one strategy that has left many citizens on the outside looking in.

I wish both candidates the best of luck and hope that we can begin the party healing sooner rather than later.

[H2O Man]

4. It's interesting to me

that this is one of Kennedy's lesser known speeches. I think I know why.

You are hitting the nail on the head: it is not simply that Senator Obama is fighting -- it is how he fights that is so important. Thank you.

[Tatiana]

12. How he fights is so important. We see it time and again, yet this point gets ignored.

Look at Missouri (10-15 points down). Look at Texas (20+ points down). Look at the early polling in Wisconsin. Look at the stunning and unexpected Iowa victory.

We didn't realize there were actual Democrats in places like Wyoming and Nebraska until we saw Obama setting up offices there. And even then, people wondered why he bothered. It wasn't until he actually won that people saw the reason for his investment in those states.

Which brings about the question of how is Obama fighting? He's saying I'm not going to play the "game." If you believe you need someone who plays the game well, vote for my opponent. I'll make mistakes, I'll mangle some words during the course of this campaign. But if you hate what our politics today has become, if you hate the way our government has been used as a source of income for corporate interests, if you want someone who is going to tell you exactly what he thinks (even if the thoughts are uncomfortable or unpopular), then vote for me.

That's his argument in a nutshell. That's the way he responds to the virulent attacks. Hillary says she knows the right-wing strategy and will be more effective at using it against them. Obama says I don't believe in using those tactics period and we should "declare independence" from the use of that strategy in politics.

What remains to be seen is whether Obama persuades the majority of the American public with his argument.

Thank you for this post and for the important points raised. It is indeed important to note not only the fact that someone is fighting, but how they are fighting as well.

[mopinko]

17. howard dean and barack obama- a match made in heaven.

how he fights is right. it took me a while to really appreciate what a smart, smart fighter he is. he can co-opt an enemy like no one i have ever seen.
when the 2 of them join together, look out gop.

[H2O Man]

19. Some of our friends

mistake Obama's style .... they are not used to seeing it, and do not have confidence in the ability to fight in a different manner than "politics as usual." One of my good friends recently said to me that she believed Obama was putting Gandhi- and King-consciousness into his campaign. She has not always been an Obama supporter, but is beginning to have more of an appreciation for what he is attempting to accomplish.

[speedoo]

7. Excellent point, Tatiana.

Re. the way Obama fights. Thankyou!

[mopinko]

6. k n r

great post, my friend. thank you.

[H2O Man]

8. Plenty of Stevie Wonder

playing in this household lately!

[mopinko]

15. oh noes! i have infected you!

so sorry. lol.
yeah, the more you listen, the more you want. i'm about to wear my ipod out.

[H2O Man]

16. And for that,

I thank you.

I noticed a few moments ago that the new Wonder CDs are missing. Hmmmm .... the son who listens to them most is visiting friends in a college town a few hours away. Oh, well -- at least I know that more young voters are going to be listening to some of the best music there is!

[mopinko]

18. you are more than welcome.

great to hear that it is so contagious!

[stevedeshazer]

9. The coming week will be crucial to Democratic Party hopes in November

I believe that a decision needs to be made sooner rather than later on the Democratic Party nominee.

The longer this struggle drags on, the worse our prospects become against John McCain. This intra-party dispute needs to be settled as soon as possible.

We must unite to defeat Sen. McCain and expand our majorities in Congress. Closure on the fight between Senator Clinton and Senator Obama is needed right away.

I appreciate the words of President Kennedy you included in your post, which I highly recommend.

Thank you.

It's going to be a crazy and emotional week.

[H2O Man]

11. I agree.

It is going to be one of those weeks that goes into the "record book." And you are absolutely correct in that we must move towards a united front in the very near future.

[me b zola]

13. Another beautifully written article

"I understand that his democratic critics are unable to hear this. But I am convinced that the nation’s leaders operating behind the curtain do."

[H2O Man]

14. The machine knows

to look to the "weakest links" to apply pressure to, in order to try to break the grass roots democratic movement. Without question, the power of the internets as a tool to organize the grass roots is fully appreciated by those standing behind the curtain. One need only look at the obvious examples of Dean's fund-raising in '04, and Obama's in '08, to understand that. Now, if we look at it in another way, and consider the search to identify weak links, some other dynamics on the internets come into a sharper focus.

[H2O Man]

20. In the news:

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/04/19/obamas_gop_shadow.html?hpid=topnews


Obama's GOP Shadow

By Shailagh Murray
PAOLI, Pa. -- Sen. Barack Obama's whistle-stop train tour is being covered live -- by the Republican National Committee and Sen. John McCain's campaign.

Obama infuriated the McCain camp when he unleashed a riff yesterday depicting the presumptive GOP nominee as clueless about the economy. At issue is an interview McCain gave Thursday to Bloomberg TV, where he observed of the past eight years, "you could make an argument that there's been great progress economically." McCain also noted "that's no comfort" to people who are hurting, but Obama seized on the first sentence and is repeating it in every speech as his train rolls through southeastern Pennsylvania.

Minutes after Obama spoke in Wynnewood, RNC spokesman Alex Conant e-mailed a rebuttal to reporters, protesting Obama's shorthand characterization. He declared Obama a tax hiker who "doesn't understand the American economy." Shortly after Obama wrapped up a rally in Paoli, Conant fired off another missive, although this time "understand" had been changed to "grasp." McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds weighed in a few minutes later, "Barack Obama doesn't understand the economy, and he's disguising it by distorting John McCain's comments."

Obama is drawing large crowds today, with hundreds of people gathering on platforms just to wave as the train passes by. ....

[H2O Man]

21. Fox Nuts:

http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/04/20/clinton-obama-going-negative-after-bad-debate/

BETHLEHEM, Penn — Hillary Clinton continued to accuse Barack Obama and his campaign of going negative despite a call for an end to such divisive politics. ....

[H2O Man]

22. Inquiring minds ....

Commentary
Should Hillary quit?

By Belinda A. Aquino
Philippine Daily Inquirer

" .... So, what should Hillary do? Quit in the interest of party unity? Certainly not, according to her. Combative Bill Clinton, who has a habit of complicating things for his wife, came out again swinging, saying it’s not in the “Clinton tradition” to quit. He seemed the perfect picture of optimism as he advised the Clinton critics to “relax.” He likes to cite the fact that in 1992, when he first ran for president, it wasn’t until June that the final results became clear after running third.

"Maybe Bill is losing touch. That was 1992—a very different time. Maybe to save his wife’s candidacy, he should bug off for a while. Hillary can hold her own; in fact she does better without Bill hovering in the background.

"It becomes more and more evident that this race will go straight down the wire. While Barack is ahead, it’s not far enough to bag the magic number needed to win the nomination: 2,024. He leads in the popular vote but Hillary edges him slightly in the “superdelegate” contest. It does look like the contest will be decided in that corner. ...."

More:


http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080420-131645/Should-Hillary-quit

[Scurrilous]

23. K & R

:thumbsup:

[AtomicKitten]

24. An enthusiastic K&R.

Obama has already changed the paradigm of politics as we know it, and I can't wait until he gets his hands on the steering wheel of America. Michelle has said he will change the face of America, and gawd knows America could use a makeover.