outta the box with swagger and respect

Anti-Clinton and Anti-Edwards merchandise is bothering me. Anti-Clinton and Anti-Edwards merchandise worn, created, or propagated by so-called-Obama-supporters is pissing me off. While malicious attacks have found fertile breeding ground in America’s political conversation, the whole point of Senator Obama’s message and the engine driving genuine supporters is a desire to redirect the conversation’s ethical compass. [...]

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Obama Accuses Bush of ‘Social Darwinism’

Well, if you thought the ‘Bush bashing’ would quiet a little among the Presidential candidates, you thought wrong (but who honestly believed it would stop?)
Obama’s been on the forefront of confronting Bush in the media and is continuing to openly/publicly stay strong against the current administration.

Full Text Article
WASHINGTON – Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama accused the [...]

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Endorsements

Everywhere you look during campaigns you’ll see endorsements. Candidates will be endorsing candidates at the same time organizations are being wooed by campaigns. It is enough to make an observer believe that endorsements carry significant weight in the process, but it just doesn’t seem to be true.

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Hope –> Action –> Change

HOPE 
Okay, let me take a step back. 
Last week, on this blog, I quoted a portion of Barack Obama’s 2004 Democratic National Convention keynote address. I choose a portion of the speech that first drew me to Obama, and I spent a little time focusing on why these words compelled me to support him and work [...]

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The Youth Vote Will Rock 08

Several online venues – such as Future Majority and Campus Progress – have blogged extensively about the impressive midterm election turnout of young voters in 2006. Earlier this month, a study conducted by Harvard’s Institute of Politics confirms that the anecdotal evidence was spot on – youth voter turnout is on the upswing. In states [...]

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Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr.: “Barack and I are fine…”

As many of you have heard in recent news, the press has been using Barack’s affiliation (or lack there of) with the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, to show he may not be a very devout religious man, and that his relationship with Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. (the person that coined the phrase: [...]

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In case you haven’t seen it…

This video has been watched by over a million viewers on YouTube!
Here’s a fascinating write up on it in the San Francisco Chronicle. RunObama also provides an excellent analysis with lots of links.

And this is just funny…

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Without Fear

There is perhaps nothing more difficult in politics today than to go on the record voting against the majority. Voters are inundated with commercials and rhetoric about a candidate’s voting record, without context or clarification. John Kerry’s infamous quote, “I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it,” became an indictment [...]

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“We have it in our power to begin the world over again.”

Moments when I feel – truly feel – that distinct essence of being an American:
*singing ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game’ during the 7th inning stretch
*stopping at a gas station on a cross-country road trip
*watching fireworks on the Fourth of July
*listening to Ray Charles’ version of ‘America the Beautiful’
*wearing old blue jeans and sneakers [...]

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Obama and the Gay Vote

Earlier this week, Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton got flak from gay rights groups for their initial responses to General Pace’s comments that homosexuality is “immoral.” While Clinton said that it was for “others to conclude,” when asked whether he believes homosexuality is immoral, Obama replied “I think traditionally the Joint Chiefs of Staff [...]

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Generation We – The Awakened Giant

The National Journal recently featured an article titled “Generation We – The Awakened Giant” that is a must-read for all of us here at Barack the Youth Vote and for anyone interested in youth politics as a whole.  Not only does it chronicle the important history of the youth vote since the lowering of the [...]

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Obama on Larry King Live, Monday, March 19

King will be interviewing Obama on Monday, March 19. Tune in to CNN at 9pm, ET!

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All aboard the change train

Governor Schwarzenegger just raised the bar for fundraising. California will hold its primary in February instead of June. This move puts even more pressure on each presidential hopeful to raise money. Lots of money. And fast. As the New York Times reports, Barack Obama is doing just that. Most recently, Obama has had success raising funds in [...]

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The First Candidate of World Culture?

In a recent blog post by Thomas De Zengotita, he asks the question, “Can Obama the man measure up to Obama the promise?” He goes on to reflect:
“That’s the big question. It’s a tall order. That promise is global in scope and historic in depth. Obama could be the first candidate of world culture–the political [...]

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Obama on Gonazales flap

Democrats and republicans alike have called on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to resign over the latest Justice Department scandal.  Obama has accused Gonzales for ’subverting justice’ but has not called for his resignation.  I actually appreciate Obama’s approach. It shows that he approaches every decision with clinical, not calculated, thought. He wants to know all the [...]

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The Money Trail

Sometime in the next six weeks the first quarter fundraising totals of each of the candidates will become public. The momentum of a campaign can surge or deflate with the publication of these numbers. While Obama’s pledge to use public financing for a general election campaign still provides the American people with the best opportunity [...]

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The Defining Question of the “Joshua Generation”

What do Teddy Ruxpin, Monica Lewinsky, and the War on Terror all have in common? Supposedly they are all the defining moments of our generation…whatever we’re called.
It seems that no one has any idea what to do with us. It’s been nearly a quarter-century, and still there is no clear consensus on who exactly we [...]

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Is ‘articulate’ a negative term?

A recent issue that has sparked debate is a statement by White House political adviser Karl Rove. Rove recently stated Obama is ‘articulate’ but lacking experience.
Two other public figures, Senator Joe Biden (D – Delaware) and President Bush have referred to Obama in a similar manner and have employed the word ‘articulate’.
Biden [...]

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The Question of Character

A recent AP article claims that voters look more to character than policy when choosing candidates:
A new Associated Press-Ipsos poll says 55 percent of those surveyed consider honesty, integrity and other values of character the most important qualities they look for in a presidential candidate.
Just one-third look first to candidates’ stances on issues; even fewer [...]

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Ted Sorensen: Obama Campaign Comparable to that of JFK

The campaigns are comparable. They say he’s too young, he’s too inexperienced, his demographic is wrong to get elected. They’ve decided in Washington that he doesn’t have a chance. But the campaign isn’t going on in Washington.The campaign is going on in the grassroots.
–Ted Sorensen, Speech Writer & Special Counsel to President John F. Kennedy [...]

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